Lyrical Inclination
by MonMonCandie
Summary: Musical Sonatas Challenge by Lien-Hua. Life is like a never-ending musical medley and with every transition it touches, that melody expresses meanings of differing pace and volume. Playing the tune of life is only half the battle; it's finding the right balance to harmonize the sound that becomes the real challenge. ‹‹Terra/Aqua one-shots; interrelated if you want them to be››
1. Sweet's Beast

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **-headdesk- Yes I know, I ended up picking up another project. I'm sorry; I just couldn't help myself, so no excuses. Music, an OTP, and interpretation are a _very _dangerous mix for forming a plot bunny that won't leave me alone. OTL Also, misleading title/summary is misleading: **this has nothing to do with Virtuoso Come Prima.**

Anyways, this challenge gives me an excuse to use music (again) as an inspirational tool specifically. :) Check _Lien-Hua's _profile (which houses more challenges) for more information. I got to pick 30 songs of my own choosing, but it was difficult. Why? Because I wanted them to specifically represent Terra/Aqua (even though I might reuse some of my song choices for other purposes… -shot-). By the way, I originally had Xemnas/Aqua in mind for this challenge. Had to drop that idea since my song choices were limited (by my standards anyway). OTL  
I'm keeping this challenge strictly in the canon universe, though in all honesty, most of the ideas are coming from my 'always changing' headcanon/fanon. So…these can be considered canon AU. And unlike VCP (if you've read it), every chapter will be stand-alone _for sure,_ but you're free to think they are interrelated in an out-of-order fashion. Personally, I'm aiming not to do that again (even though it was fun :P), but you never know; interpretation can be pretty cool. ;P Also – if it wasn't obvious – my chapters will revolve around romance in differing degrees, but you're getting a mixed bag: some will be happy, some sultry, others depressing, that sort of thing. I could try for some variety right? :)

On this chapter specifically…don't ask. The song itself is catchy, but the lyrics… xD LOL Umm, yeah. Love the song though so I can't complain and what a great way to start this challenge. Just like the Vanitas I wrote back in my Polar Reflections days, Terra has a…quirk. ;D LOL Funnily enough, there are two versions of this song choice that share the same situation, but in different POVs: the original male POV and a matching female POV. When I found that out, all I could think of was 'epically hawt'. xD

Bah! I always ramble on the first A/N of a new story. D: Sorry, guys! Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy this collection of prompts/one-shots. I'd be forever thankful if you could please review after reading. :) Thanks guys and enjoy!

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**Genres/Warnings: **Humor/Romance; no explicit warnings (maybe Terra XD).  
**Song Links (YouTube): **Original: _/watch?v=353zgzpewck_ **– **Duet: _/watch?v=vw9a4ZDwqJQ_  
**Timeline: **Pre-BbS**  
Mini-Summary: **Chocolate pleased the sweet tooth, but Terra was giving it a whole new taste that Aqua couldn't quite grasp.

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**.: Sweet's Beast :.**

"_Even boys love sweets  
By instinct, I yearn for it"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"W-Wait a minute, Terra." Aqua nervously bit her lip as she took a step back only to bump into the wall. She wasn't sure if she should curse her luck, but that was the least of her worries.

…Could this even be considered a 'worry'?

A hand was suddenly near the side of the mage's head and Aqua's eyes widened in bewilderment when Terra stood closely in front of her. It was safe to assume that this person…wasn't _Terra. _He flashed a rather toothy grin while holding a square piece of chocolate between his teeth; the look in his eyes smug as it was…_hungry. _Using the thumb of his free hand, Terra pushed the tiny sweet into his mouth to devour it before licking his lips with a slight tilt of his head. The action was so _simple_ and yet it was enough to make Aqua blush and feel a tad vulnerable; feeling as if the space between her and the brunet wasn't enough. It especially didn't help when Terra continued to keep his intense (albeit _seductive_) gaze locked on hers as he smirked.

…Yup. This was becoming a _major _source of concern.

She practically glued herself to the wall when he leaned in closer, forcing Aqua to turn her eyes away from his own hesitantly. However, it did nothing to discourage Terra. "The chocolate's a little bitter, Aqua."

"Oh?" Maybe if she humored him, Terra would lay off a little. In all honesty, Aqua wanted to whack her childhood friend upside the head with her Keyblade, but her thoughts were all out of sorts. Terra was _never _this aggressive…like this anyway. It was _completely _different than any antic Aqua was used to from the brunet and it threw her off-guard. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Aqua replied, though a bit shaken. "I was pretty sure I followed the recipe to a tee… It's not sweet enough?"

A short, startled gasp slipped past Aqua's lips when Terra fluidly reached down to whisper intimately against her ear and her eyes automatically closed when she felt his alluring voice and heated breath. "Exactly; it could use a little more sugar, maybe some milk. I always did like milk chocolate best."

Aqua could barely find her voice anymore when she tried to put a stop to Terra's advances. "T-Terra, you're a little close…"

"Am I?" He decided to put space between them, but it _still _wasn't enough for Aqua. Why? Because Terra's face was now barely inches from hers and the mage continued to feel his breath caressing her skin. Another wave of heat flooded her cheeks when Terra suddenly touched her forehead with his; their noses brushing together as he kept his voice low and cool. "I rather like this distance."

"Why?" The question had escaped her before she even realized it; Terra's free hand gently resting on her hip as if to hold her closer to him.

Her eyelids began to feel heavy when she started falling into a trance just by staring into Terra's dark blue hues; his lips so very close now. "There's an aroma of chocolate around you that I can almost _taste_ it."

Just when she thought her mind couldn't spin any further, Terra briskly pulled away; leaving a very confused – _very _unsettled – Aqua leaning against the white wall without his touch. After blinking a few times to snap out of her murky thoughts, the female Keyblade apprentice focused her attention on the brunet's retreating back as he aimed for the kitchen counter. She watched in mild perplexity as Terra grabbed her homemade chocolates (packed in a plastic-wrapped bag) off the counter; happily tossing the bag from one hand to the other whilst making his way out the kitchen entrance.

Feeling aggravated, Aqua furrowed her eyebrows. "Terra—"

"I'll admit, I was expecting something more 'filling', but I'm not exactly wasteful when it comes to chocolate," Terra interrupted, opening the bag of goodies and popping another square in his mouth. Looking over his shoulder, causing Aqua to flinch, Terra once again let a devilish smirk play across his lips. "Bitter as it is, it'll be worth it if I can get a taste of something _much _sweeter in the future."

Her face reddened once again and by the time Terra left the kitchen (whistling a tune down the hallway), Aqua's legs finally gave out and she collapsed to her knees. Staring blankly at the entrance, the mage could only mentally replay Terra's final words to her in an echoing fashion. His smug smile, the way his voice sounded at that moment…it was more than enough to make her melt ten times over. Embarrassed beyond belief, Aqua covered her face with both hands and groaned in exasperation. When she had wanted to make chocolate, Aqua wasn't expecting that kind of reaction from Terra when she asked him to taste-test her final product. Was she _that _bad at making chocolate? Did she accidentally let magic interfere with her baking skills that it inevitably made Terra act like…_that? _

This experience only confirmed one thing despite any mistakes she may have made in the recipe: Terra was a _beast _for sweets. It was like he lost his restraint for personal space and his attitude (towards her anyways) was different from his naturally respectful and serious self. Chocolate to Terra acted like a _trigger _and he obtained a rather perverse persona. Needless to say, Aqua knew it was best to avoid giving Terra something sweet like chocolate in the future if she _ever _wanted to avoid that awkward situation again. Terra was just too much, too daring, too…tantalizing.

_What am I thinking? _Aqua quickly scrambled up to her feet and shook her head to clear her mind. So what if Terra became savvier when he was 'drunk' on chocolate? That wasn't going to deter the fact that he was ridiculously out of character!

…So why was Aqua already planning out the next batch of chocolate to give to Terra?


	2. Rondo

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Story _may _as well be different than what I believe the actual theme of the song is. :P LOL! Though, what could you do with 'rondo' right? I think the definitely I found of it had something to do with 'cycle'; as in reincarnation. Tried to incorporate that here, though I'm not sure if it will read that way. Ah well, we'll see once you read it I guess. ;P  
…And yes, I totally hi-jacked this song from a certain anime about vampires… -shot- xD Hey, it's a really good song and so elegant-like! And that violin during the solo… Ugh, I can imagine Aqua playing it on top of a moonlit hill wearing a fluttery dress while it's breezy. -totally not imaging VCP right now-

BY THE WAY! Since I'm talking about the songs now: as you could probably tell from my first chapter and this one, most of my song choices will probably be in a different language; as in they won't be in English. I will try to find YouTube videos that include the song with translated lyrics, but so far, half of the videos for my song choices do not cooperate with me on this. ._.; In that case, I will provide a link to the lyrics translation (remove the spaces) for those interested. :)  
Also, in **no way** will there be spoilers in this challenge. I realize KH3D is coming out in like four weeks (SQUEE FEST!) and Terra and Aqua make an appearance, but I won't write anything about KH3D in this challenge since the game will be relative new (for some including me). I'm likely to write: before, after, and including BbS, speculative KH3, and post-KH3 for this challenge. Just wanted to clear that up because I realized how dumb I was to post this before KH3D came out. OTL

D: I rambled again. Sorry… Anyways, thank you so much for your support! :) Thank you for reading, alerting, faving, and reviewing! I hope you guys like this chapter too!

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**Genres/Warnings: **Drama/Romance/Hurt/Comfort; no explicit warnings. **  
Song Link (YouTube): **Audio: _/watch?v=7rvhV2FpXVQ_ – Lyrics: _atashi . wordpress 2008 / 11 / 16 / vampire-knight-guilty-opening-theme-rinne-rondo/_**  
Timeline: **Speculative Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **He found himself asking again and again if he was worthy to even be awake anymore. Luckily for Terra, Aqua was there to clear his mind when neither could really sleep.

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**.: Rondo :. **

"_If we can relieve ourselves from our long slumber and meet tonight  
Then come on, let's dance in our rondo"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Sleep was almost impossible for him nowadays; not because he _wanted_ to become an insomniac, but because he was afraid. Terra would openly admit to himself that he feared closing his eyes only to never open them again. He had been asleep for far too long. Perhaps not as long as his young friend, Ventus (who still remained a _boy_), but knowing Terra had missed _years_ of his life was enough to bother him endlessly. Sighing, Terra ran a hand through his brown spikes (which were longer than he remembered) and continued to walk down the intimidating hallway. He was grateful that the moonlight slipping through the window broke the concentrated darkness lest Terra began thinking he was _stuck _in the darkness of his heart once more.

"Hmm?" He blinked twice to make sure he wasn't completely out of it. Aqua's bedroom door was open…and the female who occupied the room was missing.

Half-confused and half-worried, Terra crossed his arms and attempted to make sense of what was going on. Maybe Aqua woke up to use the washroom? Got up to get a glass of milk? …Why was it so _hard _to dismiss the thought that she was in trouble? Screwing his eyes tightly to reprimand himself, the brunet opened them again to notice something crucial: Aqua's steel boots were missing. Taking that tiny fact into account, Terra managed to guess where and what happened to Aqua. With a new destination in mind to keep off his gloomy thoughts, Terra aimed to find his blue-haired friend; hoping along the way that Ventus wouldn't wake up in a panic either.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Terra's assumptions were proven correct when he found Aqua by herself on the mountain summit; doing nothing but staring up at the glowing object in the sky. Sighing while letting a small smile tug at his lips, Terra quietly approached Aqua before draping a sweater over her shoulders. He had a feeling Aqua would have forgotten to bring one when the night air was chilly. She instinctively flinched and quickly looked behind her before softening her gaze with a smile when she spotted him. Terra was bothered with her reaction, but he couldn't blame her; it was probably a habit she developed after being trapped in the Dark Realm for so long…

He suddenly felt something warm cover his right hand and Terra snapped out of his thoughts to realize Aqua had placed her delicate hand over his—where it lingered on her right shoulder. Her gaze was once again on the moon, but the brunet could make out the faintest traces of a lasting smile on her moonlit face. "Thank you."

"No problem," he curtly replied as they fell in comforting silence. Terra had gone on so long without the interaction of his friends that he was content just to breathe the same air as them…and yet, it was different being _alone_ with Aqua. As guilty as it sounded, he had almost forgotten what she looked like, what she smelled like…what he had felt for her. No, he had no right to _feel _for her whatsoever when Terra had indirectly helped Xehanort almost destroy the worlds more than once.

Terra's thoughts were again getting heavy and he unconsciously wrapped his arms around Aqua before dropping his head on her shoulder. Aqua rightfully stiffened at his ambiguous actions and whispered. "Terra?"

"Why was I brought back?" He held her tightly as if he was afraid she'd slip away. "After everything I've done, why is it okay for me to still be here with you and Ven?"

"…Terra, are you actually opening up to _me?" _Aqua asked in shock. Her question was so…out of place that Terra had to remember what he had said to make her ask such a thing.

When he realized that she was probably _teasing_ him, the brunet frowned. So he was having emotional diarrhea after more than ten years of being an _emotionless _Nobody… Could you blame him? "Aqua…"

Her shoulders shook in slight amusement, though her voice was sincere. "I'm sorry. I guess I didn't want you to be so serious."

"Well, it can't be helped after all I've done."

"What did you do, Terra?" His eyes widened in confusion before he finally lifted his head off her shoulder when Terra felt her hands gripping his shaking arms gently; Aqua herself slowly resting her back against his chest. "Because from what I know: you strive to protect your friends, protect those who can't defend for themselves, and you encourage others when they need it most." Terra continued to glance at Aqua in astonishment as she whispered. "So tell me: what _haven't_ you done already in redeeming the mistakes of _our_ past?"

…He just couldn't beat her. If he planned to be pessimistic, she'd outshine him with optimism. If he took the weight of his sins as a whole, she would willingly lighten the load by bearing half of them _for _him. If Terra was stuck in darkness…Aqua would be there as his light. She had become such a necessity to him that Terra _couldn't _see anyone else taking her place.

Sighing, the brunet smiled contently, subtly admitting a welcomed defeat. "You always have an answer for everything, don't you?"

"Not really," Aqua replied with a shrug, looking up at Terra with glistening eyes. She just seemed to shine and it caused Terra to feel a little lightheaded. "Sometimes, I need to think it over too."

The brunet paused before chuckling in response. Aqua hadn't really changed at all and Terra couldn't have been more grateful. They probably stayed together for another lingering moment until Terra finally let the sandman do his job. Burying his face between Aqua's neck and shoulder, he mumbled tiredly. "Let's head back now."

She replied evenly. "Not yet."

He yawned. "Why?"

Either sleep had finally gotten to him or Aqua lightly pressed her lips against his temple. "Where I'm standing…I like it."


	3. For First Time Lovers

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **I _really _wanted this to incorporate drama, but I sort of…failed on that approach. OTL I thank my sister for introducing me to this song. It honestly demands cuteness and it works better with dramatized fluffiness. Part of the theme was still supposed to revolve around Aqua's attire so…funnies were inevitably involved. xD I hope you don't mind. LOL I really did think I could've done a lot more with this theme though, so this isn't my favorite chapter so far. Still, lots of Terra/Aqua goodness and the theme of the song still stands. :3

Anyways, thanks for your reviews last chapter guys! Please enjoy and R&R!

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**Genres/Warnings: **Humor/Romance/Friendship; Aqua's unintentional sexiness and Terra noticing it…**  
Song Link (YouTube): **Subtitled Audio: _/watch?v=10KCbi2Qams_**  
Timeline: **Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **Terra knew that everything had changed with time, but right now, the biggest change just happened to be Aqua… Was it a bad thing? No, not really.

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**.: For First-Time Lovers :.**

"_The light of your eyes, gazing at me  
I hope there will only be joyful smiles"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

It was heartwarming, really, to hear Ventus laugh again. Terra couldn't help but smile as he watched his little brother figure play-fight with Sora and Kairi on the beach of Destiny Islands's so-called 'play island' as he leaned against the awkwardly growing Paopu tree. Riku was there too, only – like Terra – he opted to watch and laugh at his friends by the shore instead of joining them directly in the water. That was another thing Terra was still adjusting too: the last time he met Riku, the boy had only reached his waist; not his _nose._

Terra then heard a giggle to his left and he looked over his shoulder, spotting familiar blue hair and a smile directed his way. Aqua was leaning against the tree's trunk from the other side, resting her head on top of her folded arms while teasing. "Terra, you look like a father contemplating on how much his child grew."

He flabbergasted, but Terra was lucky (was he?) that he wasn't blushing from the thought thanks to the aftereffects of being a Nobody. "Well, excuse me."

"It's nothing bad." Aqua hoisted herself over the tree trunk to lean on it beside Terra; her arms now folded behind her back as she glanced across the ocean. "You were looking at Riku, right? I know you've made him your successor, so I can understand why you're staring at him for growing up so much after all these years. In fact, all of them have without us teaching them anything."

Terra was listening, but it was more like everything Aqua said went in one ear and out the other…

"…Hey, Terra—"

His chin was suddenly grabbed at and the brunet's eyes were guided to land on Aqua's stern yet embarrassed face.

"—Eyes up _here."_

Huh?" was Terra's brilliant response before he snapped out of his trance, scratching the back of his head. He bluntly stated. "Sorry. You just surprised me with what you're wearing. You look…different."

Her face turned red with his statement and Aqua quickly looked down at her sandals, tugging at the ends of her denim shorts that hugged the higher portions of her thighs. She even made an effort to hide her toned stomach; which was hard to do considering she wore a white, translucent midriff tie-up blouse with a dark blue bikini top underneath. In fact, Aqua's stomach was the _least_ of her worries when she was unintentionally flaunting her…chest to him. Terra almost missed Aqua's mumbling after zoning out again. "It…It was hot earlier and Kairi convinced me to buy something appropriate for the island weather."

"…She _convinced_ you?" Terra repeated incredulously. Aqua…her excuses were weak today.

The blue-haired Master was extremely crimson at this point, murmuring under her breath again. "Of all times…why aren't you _dense?"_

"What?" Terra cried out defiantly, standing directly in front of Aqua. "I am _not _dense!"

Aqua flustered at his close proximity and instinctively shoved him forward. "T-Too close!" Not expecting her to outright _push _him, Terra stumbled backwards, reaching the ledge of the elevated landmass and tipping over it. "Terra!" Aqua's eyes widened as she tried to prevent the brunet from falling over, but failed when she too fell along with him. They both ended up landing in the water with a large splash, but thankfully, the water level was shallow and Terra merely crashed on the underwater sand bed with his back.

The brunet groaned before spluttering saltwater out of his mouth. He struggled to sit up, but found that difficult with Aqua resting her entire weight on his chest; her arms wrapped around his neck. Worried, Terra used his strength to push himself up while his arms gently held Aqua's figure. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry." Terra blinked in confusion until Aqua shifted on his lap to glance at him. His breath literally caught in his throat when Aqua – hair wet and skin glistening under the setting sun thanks to the water running down her features – looked at him apologetically with eyes matching the ocean's color. Biting her bottom lip, Aqua hid her expression behind her bangs. "I-I didn't mean to push you like that. I'm just not used to dressing like a…um…"

A chuckled escaped Terra as he brushed back wet strands of Aqua's hair out of her face. "Like a girl?" He laughed again when Aqua hesitated to agree, asking. "Are you trying to…I dunno, _impress _someone?"

"Ngh…!"

"Do I know this guy? He better be awesome."

Aqua stumbled with her words before glancing away with an uncomfortable pout. "I strongly believe you developed a _narcissistic _side."

"I'm joking!" Having enjoyed her squirm (huh; he obtained a _sadistic_ streak too), Terra embraced and buried his face slightly above Aqua's chest, earning a shy squeak from the mage. "I don't mind seeing you like this, but honestly, you were always a girl to me, Aqua."

She cheekily asked after a moment. "…Not just sometimes?"

Terra's shoulders shook in amusement and he peeked at her with a grin. "How about _all the time?"_

Aqua stared at him evenly before smiling affectionately; Terra returning her gaze softly the more he stared into her eyes. A faint blush colored Aqua's cheeks when Terra pressed his lips to her forehead before slowly moving towards Aqua's awaiting mouth…

"Guess I was worried for nothing."

Both Terra and Aqua snapped out of their 'moment', glancing to their right and finding _everyone _staring at them with a variety of looks: Sora with his hands behind his head as he looked away; Kairi holding back her laughter; Riku clearing his throat while keeping his eyes elsewhere; and Ventus…well, he was _enjoying _the moment with a mischievous smirk. The blond teenager wittily remarked. "Want us to leave and come back later?"

…As much as Terra loved a carefree Ventus, too much could be such a _pain_ to handle. Terra readily scowled as Aqua hid her face behind her hands. "Ven, don't give me a reason to put you _back _to sleep."


	4. Magnet

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **I don't know what I was doing with this one either. xD; Again, I had something _completely _different in mind that didn't actually involve the, um…_'deed'. _OTL -fail- Apparently, I need a _lot _of words just to convey this much and I'm still not happy with it. ._. -sigh- I'm beginning to think I can't really do serious TerQua; all these word limits are killing me. LOL  
So…yeah! This chapter is more about forbidden romances…or mistakes that shouldn't have happened. -shot- But seriously, the song is popular (to those who know the fandom) for being about forbidden love in the first place. I love the lyrics so I tried to placate the theme here. I actually wanted this to be thought of as either Pre-BbS _or _Post-KH3, but that didn't happen. OTL I'm pretty sure some people are going to get confused after reading this chapter so I suppose I will hint it here: yes, they 'did it' and no, they aren't. :(  
And FYI as to why the Original audio is the second link: I love both versions, but the Another Version is my favorite. :3

…Happy reading! -shot- xD Thanks for reading and reviewing, guys.

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**Genres/Warnings: **Angst/Romance; mentions of hinted/pre-story suggestive themes and nakedness (no graphic details).**  
Song Link (YouTube): **Another Version: _/watch?v=g7HYtbTcrJE _– Original: /_watch?v=egxSBhfjcTU_**  
Timeline: **Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **There was no justification other than the fact that they wanted each other for the longest time, but because of pre-existing symbols, no one would understand that what they did was out of love.

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**.: Magnet :.**

"_I've touched you, I can never go back and that's just fine  
You are everything in the world to me"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

She lightly brushed back the bangs that fell freely in front of his face; her knees drawn close to her naked chest with only the blanket to cover her. Aqua wrapped her arms around her legs, smiling all the while as Terra took a calming breath in his sleep; completely oblivious that the person beside him was still awake. Aqua didn't mind; she would rather Terra _stay _asleep since she was still trying to process the night that happened between them.

Tangled limbs…

A mess of the bed sheets…

Kisses beyond her wildest imagination…

If Aqua didn't know any better, then she would merely think her fantasies left her delusional. However, Terra was here, sleeping beside her; how could this _not _be real? Raising her hand again, Aqua gently caressed the left side of the brunet's face before trailing down to his jaw, neck, and shoulder. His skin was so warm and taut (in a good way of course). Her fingers continued to trace the length of Terra's left arm with the intention to link their hands together when the blue-haired mage stopped. Her eyes began analyzing each finger of Terra's left hand before she compared them with her own slender fingers. His were rough; bare…_undecorated._

Her rational side started scrutinizing everything that had transpired between them; turning a night of long-dreamt passion into an engraved moment of _guilt._ Aqua had gone against her beliefs and principles – pretending as if they hadn't _existed_ – just so she could be with Terra for one night. It was funny how a piece of jewelry – an _inanimate_ object – had constricted her so much. Then again, jewelry like that was meant to be significant…

"Aqua?" Hearing her name on his tongue scared her a little. She didn't realize Terra stirred awake, but there was nothing she could do now. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Aqua hesitated to face him, but once she locked eyes with him – his wearisome concern turning into confirmed shock – Aqua knew hiding her tears was useless. Terra immediately sat up from his side of the bed and lifted a hand to touch her, yet he refrained to do so…and she knew why. Licking his lips, the brunet whispered. "What's wrong?"

She only stared at him in response. Try as she may, Aqua knew Terra was guarding the emotion – his own feelings of the moment hours earlier – behind his eyes. Terra's reaction…a part of her felt bitter about it and she choked out a small laugh before wiping her tears with the back of her palm. Aqua quietly asked. "Don't you find it funny? How…How backwards we are?"

"…Aqua—"

Shaking her head, she interrupted. "Terra, we… You and I aren't people who do this." Aqua brushed a hand over her face to push aside strands of her hair, sucking in a deep breath to continue. However, she deliberately avoided eye contact. "It's hard to think that we… We shouldn't have—"

"How much of it do you regret?" Terra's eyes were steely blue; mouth pursed in a thin line. "Honestly speaking of course."

"W-What? That's not—"

"Because I regret every moment I _didn't_ do or say anything until it was too late." He shifted closer to her on the bed and Aqua couldn't help but lean away while unconsciously covering as much of herself with the blanket as possible. If she had been as steady as always, perhaps then her hold on his hardened gaze wouldn't falter. "Aqua, I know you're going to start blaming yourself because of a mistake _I _initiated, but don't. Just…please don't."

Dropping his shoulders, Aqua could practically _see _the weights piling up on Terra's back as he hung his head in shame. It was obvious that the brunet thought a lot about the consequences of _this _particular taboo (to which there was no looking back). Master Eraqus…if he could see them now, surely he would be disappointed in every sense of the word; and what was worse was that Terra wanted to shoulder _all _of the blame when it took _two _people to make this union consensual.

Tears once again formed in her eyes and it hurt to look at Terra because Aqua suddenly believed she was worthless. She sobbed. "I'm so sorry…"

Feelings his thumbs wiping her eyes, Aqua blearily glanced at the brunet. Terra was smiling sadly at her. "It will be alright, Aqua…"

He was trying to comfort her, but Aqua knew – they both did – that he was just as anxious as she was. His voice had sounded calm, but his hands were quivering when he touched her. All Aqua could do to offer comfort in return was to embrace Terra and hold him tightly to stop her own shaking. They would have to face the consequences of their actions come daylight and that was scary…but what could they do?

Just like how water longed for earth to give it form and earth yearned for water to give it life, Terra and Aqua were inseparable. They always had that magnetic connection since they were children, but they had forced themselves apart until life decided to make that attraction unbearable to the point that they'd perform a sin. Opposites attract; it was a simple principle, yet it felt so much like a curse now more than ever. Aqua had always wanted it to be Terra, but her values barred her from being honest with him for the longest time. To want more, to feel more, to _experience _more was no longer something that Aqua could freely wish for. After all, unlike Terra, one particular finger of Aqua's left hand was _decorated _with a symbol and a vow meant for someone else. Earth and water came together for the first time that night, but no longer could it happen again. Such an action was forbidden now…and yet Aqua couldn't – no, _wouldn't _– drown in regret.

She was finally able to truly love Terra at least once and that already meant the worlds to her…


	5. Waltz for the Moon

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **So I realized I've only done one pre-BbS theme so far… Let's change that! XD Haha! Love this song for various reasons and I thought to include some sort of 'elegant' dance scene, but changed my mind because _that _signature to this song belongs to another of my OTPs. It shall remain that way. :P Haha! I decided to do this one when Terra and Aqua are younger just because the song itself sort of suggests a 'playfulness' and thought it would work here. :) For ages, I usually have Terra and Aqua around the nine/ten-year-old marker when I think of them as kids, but for this particular one, I have them a little younger (maybe six/seven years old) because then, Aqua has an excuse to act adorable (not that she isn't already -shot-). xD

On another note, KH3D is _amazing._ Just finished the game (no spoilers here and I _know, _it just came out in North America on Tuesday, but I _couldn't _put it down! OTL) and I have concluded a very disturbing thought: I find young Xehanort attractive and I absolutely _hate_ how he becomes baldy Master Xehanort. D: They have to be two different people…THEY HAVE TO BE! -shot- I believe I am fully onboard the Xehanort fanclub now. LOL  
…But yeah, the game is fantastic and the near-endgame will make you go WTF (take that as you will). :3

Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing! Here is a lighthearted theme compared to my last one. :) Please enjoy and R&R!

PS: Yes, I am shamelessly advertising my likes. I can't help it. XD

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Friendship/Humor/Romance (very little though); no explicit warnings.**  
Song Link (YouTube): **Audio: _/watch?v=pFXZ618pU_0_** – **Dance Scene: _/watch?v=OlfH3r780So_**  
Timeline: **Pre-BbS**  
Mini-Summary: **He liked her. She was okay. A little on the dependent side, but she was better than most girls he used to know. Though…he kind of wished she wouldn't make him feel funny.

* * *

**.: Waltz for the Moon :.**

_"You're the best looking guy here. Dance with me?"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

They spent most of their free time around the mountain; a place Terra deemed their 'hangout' spot. While he sat on the stone bench fixing the strings of his wooden Keyblade, Terra heard Aqua giggling and he couldn't help but look up. Aqua was standing in the middle of the small mountain stream, holding parts of her lavender sundress so it wouldn't get wet. The smile on her face was bright as the rush of water weaved around her legs.

The brunet smiled slightly as he watched his younger cohort play in the water. Aqua only became Master Eraqus's apprentice about two months ago and the little girl was rather insecure about the big change. Terra had done the best he could to make her feel comfortable (as asked by the Master) and he was pretty proud of himself for succeeding. Aqua didn't cry as much, she was willing to try new things, and she talked a lot more than before. However…it seemed that she had also taken a liking to Terra to the point that she would follow him _everywhere._

"Terra!" Aqua waved him over. "Come play with me!"

Rolling his eyes, he shouted from his seat. "I'm busy."

"No you're not. Stop playing with your Keyblade!"

"I'm not; I'm _fixing_ it."

Pouting, Aqua placed her hands on her hips and huffed. "Fine."

Terra only stuck out his tongue before repairing his wooden Keyblade again. He couldn't help but act like an older brother when he realized how high the moon was hanging in the night sky with the stars. Without looking up, Terra advised. "You shouldn't be playing in the water anyways, Aqua. You're gonna get sick."

When he only heard splashing, Terra sighed and glanced at Aqua to get her attention in another way. However, their roles reversed because at that moment, Terra was _gawking _at the girl who continued to play in the stream. Aqua had her arms spread out as she waltzed from one side to the other: jumping, leaping, spinning in a circle…her sundress only emphasized the impression that Aqua was some sort of water nymph or even a fairy…

As Terra continued to stare, Aqua took notice of him. She lowered her gaze with her hands behind her back, shuffling from foot to foot. "D…Do you want to dance, Terra?"

With just one question, the brunet suddenly blushed as he quickly looked away. "I don't dance."

"It's okay." She giggled; stepping out of the water on to the grass with her bare feet and ran up to Terra; grabbing his palms. Aqua smiled and started swinging their arms. "You don't have to know how just to have fun!"

Terra's eyes expressed surprise after dropping his Keyblade on the grass. His footwork was unsteady, but Terra caught himself before he could tumble to the ground. "Hey!"

"C'mon! This is _better_ than sitting on your butt!" Aqua laughed, humming a tune as she and Terra 'danced'.

_Girls are weird. _This was a strange predicament to be in. No girl on his homeworld had ever yanked him to his feet to dance before and Terra sure as heck wouldn't have let them because he still found girls confusing. But for some reason, Aqua was different… He _liked_ seeing her smile and if dancing meant Terra could see it as she laughed mirthfully, then he figured this was worth it…sort of.

Aqua continued leading their little dance number under the full moon until she tackled Terra with an unexpected hug. The boy let out an 'oomph' sound as he awkwardly stayed still. This…was also the _first _time a girl hugged him for no reason. Stiffly keeping his arms as close to his own body as possible, Terra asked. "Um…Aqua?"

"Your heart is beating loudly." Aqua smiled against him; eyes closed. If Terra was uncomfortable before, he was sweating under his collar now. Aqua could hear his heartbeat? He hoped she wasn't aware of how _fast _it was beating too. Terra made to say something, but she beat him to the punch. "I guess that means you have a big heart. It suits you, Terra."

…What was with this girl? She was so _random!_

…But she was also kind of…_cute. _And she was warm too; do girls always smell like vanilla? Without really knowing what he was doing, Terra slowly raised his hands to return Aqua's hug. It _would _be rude not to respond to it right? …Right?

"There you are."

Before his arms could even touch her properly, Aqua quickly pulled away after seeing their teacher and ran off on Terra without a second thought. "Master Eraqus!"

The Keyblade Master chuckled as he placed a hand the young girl's head; Aqua clutching his robes while burying her face against his torso. Softening his gaze, Master Eraqus smiled. "Are you tired, Aqua?" When she nodded against him, the Master nodded too. "Very well then. Terra, we are returning to the castle… Terra?"

The young brunet couldn't help but draw a blank, unintentionally ignoring his Master. Aqua was _tired?_ Was that why she leaned against him? …She _wasn't _hugging him? For some reason, something inside Terra was _not _happy. Frowning a little as Aqua returned to the Master's side after putting on her shoes, Terra marched over to his wooden Keyblade, picked it up, and then quickly walked past his Master and fellow apprentice down the mountain path; mumbling under his breath. "Girls are so _weird…!"_

Master Eraqus raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his oldest apprentice's hasty departure. He glanced down at Aqua, believing she would have the slightest clue on Terra's behavior, but the little girl merely rubbed her tired eyes with one hand while holding on to one of his. Aqua was completely oblivious about Terra's moodiness and yet, Master Eraqus was sure Terra was upset with her; what with him bringing up girls in general.

_…Ah. He's at that age now. _The Master chuckled in amusement, leaving Aqua to stare up at the man in curiosity.


	6. Fantasy Mythology

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Not going to lie; this is _so _far off that it _is _considered canon AU; especially coming from me. :D Let's just say that this is perhaps a slice of the darker side of my mind. XD You know a song _and _the anime it was featured in influences you when… LOL But my god! This song is _amazing _and I recommend it for a full listen, even if you don't understand a word of Japanese. ;P I'd also recommend the anime because it is so psychologically _awesome. _Heck, even Xemnas's Japanese VA voices the god and overseer of said anime. xD But of course, some of the themes within it are **not **for younger children. I don't recommend it to anyone under fourteen unless you have a good, mature understanding of certain real life issues. However, if you _do _plan on watching the anime from here on, don't say I didn't warn you (also, don't read the YouTube comments on both song links provided since there ARE spoilers). But enough about that; this song was awesome from the get-go. -heart-

I'm not going to go into great detail about this chapter because I really want you guys to read it for yourself, but I will say this: I honestly think that Terra would be the most effed up member of the TVA trio considering how much stress his body, heart, and mind have gone through before being 'put back together' after ten or so years… I love Terra. :D LOL For some clarification, this takes place during one of the battles against Xehanort's 'army' in the yet-to-exist KH3. I'd say more, but again, I'll let you read…  
Fun fact: I had to rewrite this twice (because the original draft was wordier and a _lot _darker). :3

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy and R&R!

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Horror/Romance; description of blood and some gore, a rather 'sick-in-the-head' Terra.  
**Song Link (YouTube): **Full Audio: _/watch?v=ROGjsgRClXo_ – Anime OP: _/watch?v=ql0NtjXIv_s  
_**Timeline: **Speculative-KH3; the dark kind.  
**Mini-Summary: **She had honestly believed things would look up again after all of the fighting, but reality destroyed that tiny innocent wish by starting with him.

* * *

**.: Fantasy Mythology :.**

"_A god of my imagination elegantly sentences death with a smile__  
__And draws out his chains of fate which rule all time and space"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

It had only been two months since Terra regained control of his original body thanks to Sora and the others. After picking up the 'pieces' of Terra's broken persona – his armor within the Keyblade Graveyard as well as his heart and body from Xehanort overall – Aqua anticipated that the brunet would probably be unstable for a few days since his return…but this was too much; even for her. Sometimes, Aqua wasn't even sure if it was Terra who came back to her and Ventus, but _someone else._

Aqua pressed her back against the cold and rocky wall of the large crevice she and Terra had fallen into during a struggle with Xehanort's minions. It wasn't that she was shrinking away from the enemies that fell with them…she was trying to crawl away from _Terra._

_Crack!_

Her eyes widened in shock and Aqua's breathing became shallower with every passing moment. In fact, she didn't want to breathe if it meant inhaling that horrendous stench. It was so strong…the smell of iron.

_Squish!_

Reflexes caused her eyes to close when something wet splashed on her face and body. It was warm; fresh. Shaking anxiously, Aqua slowly opened her eyes – ignoring the metallic taste upon her pink lips –and stared at Terra who only stood a few feet in front of her. The brunet was focused on digging his Keyblade – the once missing Ends of the Earth – into the ground with heavy stabs that he ignored Aqua altogether. The landmass he was standing on was soft and slightly elevated, giving Terra an almost god-like appearance as the dim light shining into the crevice bounced off him in an ethereal glow. Perhaps 'beautiful' or 'amazing' would've described the coincidental, picturesque moment Terra was basked in…but it was the exact opposite in Aqua's eyes. Instead of appearing as a god of protection and strength…Terra was the epitome of _death _and slaughter. Terra's eyes were blue, yet they were dead. His right hand gripped his Keyblade tightly as he drove the teeth of his weapon into the ground, grinding and twisting it deeper from where he stood, but Aqua knew it was not solid _earth_ he was standing on.

No… Terra was situated on top a pile of _corpses. _

Rip and tear; stab and grind. The brunet's brutal actions rewarded him by splattering the blood of the deceased everywhere in large quantities every time he pulled out his Keyblade from the chests of the unfortunate victims. His once serene, handsome face was now smeared with the color red that clung to his hair and skin; the look in his eyes aching to fill his controlled yet carnal satisfaction.

Aqua's eyes welled up with tears at the sight of her childhood friend spiraling into a cold-blooded murderer before her. "Terra…"

He stopped his actions at the mention of his name and – very sluggishly – Terra turned his head in Aqua's direction; his stare blank and disturbingly innocent. To Aqua, it only confirmed that this _wasn't _Terra but yet another inhumane monster using his appearance as a shell—Terra was still _lost. _They gazed at each other wordlessly before Terra finally removed his Keyblade out of its fleshy resting place; blood once again whipping into the air and raining on both wielders of the Key. With his body now facing her and Keyblade held strictly at his side, the brunet continued to stare before breaking his stoic exterior and _smiled _at her. He ignored how the mage froze at his approach. "You're safe now, Aqua."

"T-Terra…why?" Her voice cracked with the only question on her mind. Aqua wanted to stand on her feet and run…but upon falling into the crevice, she sustained heavy injuries to her legs. She repeated as her composure crumbled. _"Why? _How could you—?"

"They were going to hurt you," Terra interrupted; eyes once again cold and foreign. "I won't let Xehanort hurt you _or _Ventus anymore." Aqua flinched and nearly screamed when Terra fell to his knees in front of her, pulling her into a tight embrace as his Keyblade dematerialized after hitting the ground. "Especially you, Aqua…" She let out a frightened whimper which Terra mistook as a sob of joy, smiling. "Shh. It's alright. You have nothing to fear now; I'll destroy _anything _that threatens you… I promise."

This was wrong; Aqua felt _dirty _the moment Terra touched her. He thought this was love? He thought she wanted him to slaughter Xehanort's minions in such a sick way and _enjoy _it? For _her? _Terra – _this _Terra – was becoming a nightmare worse than her days stuck in the Realm of Darkness. He was gone; the Terra she sincerely loved back with all her heart…was dead. This wasn't how it was supposed to be; they were supposed to go back to those happy days in the Land of Departure once Master Xehanort was defeated… Aqua wasn't supposed to jump into the _next _nightmare!

…God had turned his back on her and crushed her dreams.

Pulling away, Terra wiped the tears spilling from Aqua's eyes using his thumbs, ignoring the fact that he was spreading the same red substance that covered his hands on Aqua's cheeks before he leaned down and kissed her. Aqua could taste death on his lips and she mournfully cried; resigned to her fate. She had always dreamed of feeling his lips on hers, but now, it was the farthest thing she desired most of all. Aqua wanted the real one back; _her _Terra. This one…was just a mash up of what he once was—only _twisted. _What Aqua wanted was nothing more than a fantasy now. If she didn't know any better, Aqua may have believed she died during the battle; condemning her to such a hellish prison for the mistakes she could not correct in the past…and perhaps that's where she was.

But…

If she could finally be with 'Terra', then at least god had pitied her enough in this aspect. Here: within the depths of her personal hell.


	7. Lullaby for You

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **To those who read the last chapter, I apologize for mentally scarring you if I did. xD Still, the reaction I got was pretty much what I wanted, so success in that aspect. ;) Just a reminder again that this challenge is going to consist of a lot of different genres/themes between Terra and Aqua (as well as most likely touching canon AU). I'll always warn you though so you won't be caught _too _off-guard.

Anyways, something lighter to brighten things up! Honestly I can't imagine an Aqua walking around with a big tummy, but that's pre-motherhood for you. :) And yes, I do believe Terra would take parenthood very seriously. LOL Personally, if Terra and Aqua had a kid, I usually think it would be a girl just because I want to see Terra act like the stereotypical overprotective type of daddy, but I digress. :D And song was used for TWEWY; it's a lovely song that transitioned well from it's original Japanese to English. -heart-  
The last part of this chapter was actually inspired by a recent event. My friend's older brother became a new father two weeks ago and my friend told me her brother (one of those 'tough guys') got emotional when he held his kid for the first time. Needless to say, I went 'aww'. So congrats to him! ^^

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy and R&R!

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Drama/Romance/Humor; no explicit warnings (unless a pregnant Aqua bothers you :P).**  
Song Link (YouTube): **_/watch?v=rOreSofJPGY_**  
Timeline: **Speculative Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **Parenthood: one of life's biggest milestones. Five months in and they're already talking about methods to connect with their little one. Terra's still a little apprehensive, but Aqua doesn't blame him.

* * *

**.: Lullaby for You :.**

"_Close to you I hope to stay, endlessly from today  
Even through cloudy days, you are not alone"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

She smiled gently while running her fingers through his hair, admiring the way he held her tenderly as he knelt by her side with his head resting on her lap. Aqua knew better than anyone (besides Ventus) that Terra was a big softie underneath that tough exterior of his. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost missed a faint…_humming _sound. Amused, Aqua giggled a little. "What are you doing, Terra?"

"I read in a book that singing to your baby helps build a connection with them," Terra mumbled against her still growing tummy; his cobalt eyes glancing up at her reminiscent to that of a dog. He soon looked away when he believed his thoughts to be silly. "Well, I don't sing, but humming's pretty close."

Aqua blinked before shaking her head. Terra was _really_ getting prepared for parenthood! Just five months ago, the brunet had literally flipped out at the word 'baby' and now he suggests things like singing to the little one within her womb? She felt like cooing at him, but refrained. "I see. How about talking to the baby then? It might be easier for you since you…can't sing."

"…I don't…" The brunet pulled away, opting to hold Aqua's hands instead of glancing at her directly. "I don't exactly have anything worth saying to the baby."

"Sure you do." Squeezing his hands, Aqua played with the silver band sitting on Terra's left ring finger while smiling supportively. There was another thing about this 'baby business' that had Terra freaking out: Aqua knew he would feel incapable of providing the baby a happy childhood given the history of 'his' wrong-doings. The blue-haired mother-to-be had told Terra countless times that none of the events that took place years ago was ever his fault. After all, Terra worked hard to detangle the knots in the string he created and even then, no one held anything against him. Terra was still Terra; no matter what he thought. Cupping his cheek in her palm, the brunet hesitated to look at her only for Aqua to smile again. She guided his right hand over her abdomen; gently placing it on the protruding bump. "Go on and try it. You'll never know unless you do, Terra. I'm sure he wants to hear his father's voice too."

Either Terra was staring at her weirdly because Aqua _had _talked to the baby like an already born person or he was taken aback by her comment. She figured the latter considering he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What makes you think the baby's a _boy?"_

"I don't." Aqua shrugged. "But I wouldn't mind the baby being a boy, seeing as how _we _practically 'raised' Ven. Raising a baby boy should be easier for us."

Again, Terra stared at her blankly before throwing his head back in laughter. "Pretty sure Ven wouldn't be too happy knowing he was a 'guinea pig' for the actual thing. But…I dunno, Aqua. A boy? I think I'd rather have a girl."

"Why?"

"Well—"

"Oh wait!" Pulling him closer to her side, Aqua reminded. "Don't tell _me _what you think, Terra. Tell _the baby."_

Terra made to argue with her – his cheeks flushed with a bit of color – but the blue-haired female wouldn't have it. She shook her head half-sternly and gestured to her tummy. What did he have to feel embarrassment for? It was only him, her, and her bulging abdomen after all! Groaning under his breath, Terra relented and gently ran his fingers across Aqua's bump. He quietly began to speak. "Well, um…I'm hoping you – the baby – will be a…a girl because…" Terra looked at Aqua once more and she nodded, causing him to sigh and continue. "If you're a baby girl…you'd probably take after your mother. I wouldn't mind having a little 'Aqua' running around."

Needless to say, his comment made Aqua herself blush. "Terra…"

"But, you know, if you're already a _boy,"_ Terra interrupted with a faint smile; his palm flat on Aqua's stomach. "I'll love you all the same because you're still our child."

Touched by his words, Aqua made to praise Terra for basically reaching out to their still-unborn child before they both felt a quick yet strong sensation move beneath Terra's palm. Surprised, Aqua blinked at Terra, noticing his own astounded expression as he continued to gape at her bump. "You…felt that too?"

"Y-Yeah," Terra flabbergasted, licking his lips. "T-The baby just _kicked,_ right?" When Aqua nodded with a brilliant smile, the brunet's entire face quickly filled with pure happiness. He eyed her tummy again. "I really felt that one from him." And as if to answer Terra's voice, that same jerking motion played against Aqua's womb and connected with the brunet's palm.

"It seems to me, the baby likes hearing you talk, Terra." Aqua giggled with a tilt of her head and a softened gaze. "This means that it's _okay _for you to be the father; he – or she – loves you so much already."

"I…I guess so…"

"…Terra, are you _crying?"_

Lowering his head and hastily yet carefully hiding his face against her abdomen, the brunet defensively retorted…through a curt sniffle. "No I'm not; I just got dust in my eyes."

Amused, Aqua laughed a little before bending over as much as she could to cuddle the top of his head, stroking his hair in a soothing motion. "Alright; whatever you say, Terra." He decided to remain quiet after that and Aqua didn't mind. If anything, this was just what Terra needed to open his eyes completely. No one was going to abandon him anymore—she would be there by his side, always, and their unborn child solidified the idea that he could have a happy family. Aqua hummed during the period of silence between her and him before a thought occurred. "Hey, Terra?"

He mumbled against her, replying. "What is it?"

"How would you feel if we ended up with _twins _instead?"

"…One thing at a time, Aqua. _Please."_


	8. Arrest Rose

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Hey, guys! Sorry for not being around for the past week (and a half I think?). Was busy with a few real life things and then some. :)  
Anyways, I've been obsessed with this song for a while now, but I originally wasn't going to use it for this challenge. The music itself is sheer awesomeness, but the lyrics are actually pretty melancholy before I found my favorite stanza and just decided to use the song. LOL So mood of this chapter doesn't not reflect the song at all. xD This one is probably the weakest chapter so far, but I got a giggle or two out of it; it was fun to write and Terra is such a dork. :P

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy and R&R!

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Humor/Friendship/Romance; handcuffs—_if you know what I mean._ -shot- I'm joking, there's nothing to warn about…**  
Song Link (YouTube): **_/watch?v=N7-6l3pvOl4_**  
Timeline: **Pre-BbS or Speculative Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **Apparently, there were some games that never got old, but their interpretations certainly change with time…

* * *

**.: Arrest Rose :.**

"_Please wait there  
I'll go and arrest you"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

The box made a loud 'thump' after Terra carefully placed it on top another box. Wiping the sweat forming on his brow, the brunet placed his hands on his hips before taking special note that there were _still _plenty of other boxes that needed organizing. Needless to say, he didn't feel like he accomplished much. Sighing with a defeated smile, Terra muttered loudly. "We have a _lot _of stuff to go through… Yay…"

When his cleaning companion didn't reply to his dry remark, Terra glanced over his shoulder and found Aqua crouched to the side, digging through an opened cardboard box; completely engrossed with her task. Pouting slightly for being overlooked, Terra quickly surveyed his immediate surroundings before crumpling a piece of packing paper, took careful aim, stuck out his tongue for effort, and fired his projectile for the back of Aqua's head. It got her attention as she shot a hand up to her head and whirled around. "Hey!"

"What you doing?" Terra chuckled while grinning. Rubbing the side of his neck, he decided to resume their spring cleaning task in the storage room of the castle that was often used. Picking up another box, Terra lightly scolded. "If you keep opening boxes, it's going to take us _forever _to clean this mess."

"I only opened one box." Aqua rolled her eyes. Searching through the medium-sized box, Aqua pulled out a few items. "There were a lot of the toys in this one."

Curious, Terra put away the box he was carrying before approaching Aqua. He spotted a few familiar trinkets – like toy soldiers and tiny building bricks – and smiled in a reminiscing manner. "You're right." Suddenly, his smile turned into a tiny frown when other toys turned out to be things he hadn't seen for certain reasons. "Actually, I think this is the box Master Eraqus used to 'confiscate' things. He _did _take away a lot of my toys because I abused them."

Aqua then giggled _at _him and Terra looked in bemusement. There was a mischievous smirk on her face as she dangled a particular toy in her hand. "Like this one?"

Terra blinked before slapping his face in embarrassment. "You had to find _those?"_

"Magic really _wasn't _your forte," Aqua teased, playing with a pair of handcuffs used for magic tricks. "You couldn't do the 'escape' trick so you decided to use the handcuffs a different way."

"Okay, so playing 'cops and robbers' with a girl wasn't exactly smart, but c'mon!" Terra blushed with eyes to the ceiling. Clearing his throat, Terra rose from his kneeling position and brushed his pants. "A-Anyways, we should get back to cleaning."

"…We can play 'cops and robbers' right now, Terra."

"Huh—?" Honestly, he wasn't expecting Aqua to literally _be _in his face when he turned around. Flinching immediately and taking a step back – only for Aqua to step _forward _– Terra stammered. "Uh, don't you think we're a little too old for that?"

"Not really." Aqua hummed, innocently brushing her lithe fingers against the back of Terra's hands. Needless to say, the brunet only realized that Aqua wasn't wearing her fingerless gloves _or _her bell sleeves…and the skin-on-skin contact made him shiver. Interlocking their hands together, Aqua managed to push Terra back against a lean pillar while closing the distance between them. "No one has to know…right?"

He swallowed the lump forming in his throat and refused to fall into submission. Something was _off _about Aqua. For one, she never initiated any sense of…_flirting _(that was usually his job). Second, even if they were alone in the storage room, there was a very strong chance someone could burst through the door and Aqua _hated _being caught in embarrassing situations. Therefore…what was her aim?

_Click._

…_Aw crap. _Narrowing his eyes, Terra scowled at the blue-haired mage smiling smugly at him as she pulled away. He didn't have to move to know that Aqua had just bound his hands behind the pillar using the pair of handcuffs she held moments earlier. "Very funny."

She giggled at his expense; arms folded over her chest. "Instead of playing the 'cop' like you always used to do, I think it's time you play the 'robber'."

"And I'm tied up because…?"

"You threw a paper ball at my head." Aqua rolled her eyes before turning around to work. "Just behave until I finish cleaning my side of the room."

Right; because Terra _wanted _to wait. Poor, oblivious Aqua—did she really think Terra _still_ didn't learn the escape trick? …Or at least, the _cheat _for it? Thank god for _Key_blades. "You sure that's the _only_ reason you handcuffed me?"

Aqua closed one box and opened another. "Yes. Why?"

"I dunno—it's kinda _suspicious _when you have me tied up and we're together. _Alone."_

"…Pervert."

"Naïve," Terra teased.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Aqua stood up and turned around only to be confronted by Terra stealing a kiss from her. Her eyes widened in surprise that he wasn't bound to the pillar anymore. When he pulled her for a quick embrace, she flabbergasted. "B-But you were—"

"I cheated," the brunet whispered against her ear. Holding her hands simultaneously behind her back, Terra snapped the handcuffs over her wrists and grinned while moving away. "There we go!"

"Huh?" Aqua gasped and fruitlessly tried to break free. She readily glared daggers. "Terra!"

"Who was I again?" Terra ignored Aqua's outbursts, smacking a fist over his palm. "Right! Robber—I'm the 'robber'."

Aqua stepped back with a warning when Terra began creeping closer to her. "You wouldn't _dare." _As if to answer that challenge, the brunet effortlessly lifted Aqua off the ground and hoisted her over his shoulder as she struggled. "Put me _down, _Terra!"

"No can do." He laughed, walking towards the exit. "You're in a hostage situation and I'm _not _negotiating."

"Right," Aqua sarcastically agreed, poking Terra's back. "You're in _big_ trouble once the cuffs come off."

"I'm graduating to a 'fugitive'? Alright." Terra smirked. "I'll be waiting."


	9. Untitled

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **You don't know how difficult this was to write considering I had to squeeze everything I wanted into 1000 words and I _still _didn't get the result I wanted. =_=; Ah well I tried… This is a take on that 'TVA reunion' scene. :) I like thinking Terra's the last one of the trio to be rescued only because of the drama it may show since his body still belongs to Xehanort right?  
Er, yeah. Gonna explain it here because I didn't know how. -fail- I see it like this: after Sora rescues Aqua, who in turn leads them into rescuing/waking Ven, they go looking for the Lingering Sentiment. A mega battle ensues when Xehanort shows up in the Keyblade Graveyard to attack the heroes, so in gameplay terms: a Sora (and friends) vs. Xehanort vs. Lingering Sentiment showdown. I actually want a battle like that to happen in KH3. -shot- xD I could go on, but you eventually see the end result in this chapter. And yes, I know my explanation on _how _Xehanort is expelled from Terra's body is lacking, but I tried to make sense of this chapter. ;-;

Ah that's right; I also need to gush over the song… I LOVE IT! Oh my god you have no idea! I recommend it for a listen because it really sets the mood for what I was aiming for in this chapter! Does anyone remember Chapter 6 in this challenge? With crazy Terra? Yeah, this chapter's song comes from that anime I mentioned. I swear to god, it makes me wanna cry every time I listen to it. :'D And the way it was used for one particular couple in the anime… From a YouTube comment I read on this song: _EFFING TEARS! _LOL Too bad there isn't an official title for this song; hence why I 'named' it Untitled. |D -is so creative-

…I am sorry for rambling. xD In any case, thanks for the wait! Not my best chapter (I say that a lot don't I?) since it seems messy IMO, but I hope you like it. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Happy New Year! :)

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**Genres/Warnings: **Drama/Friendship/Slight Romance; no explicit warnings (teary reunions anyone?).**  
Song Link (YouTube): **Audio: /watch?v=cYBbcJeiwu4 – Anime Scene: /watch?v=Y-HPvlBPm78 (not a lot of spoilers, but definitely one of the sweetest couple moments in the anime)**  
Timeline: **Speculative KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **It was something out of a dream, but the moment she held him, Aqua knew he was _whole _again.

* * *

**.: Untitled :.**

_"I guess we won't be living together forever as gods, but still…this is forever, too."_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"_Hey, Aqua."_

"_Hmm?"_

_Terra gave her a boyish smile; one full of confidence. "When we become Keyblade Masters, you'll have my back no matter where I am, right?"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Aqua had made so many promises to both of them: Ventus, the boy she treated like a younger brother, and Terra… Terra was difficult to describe with just one word. Was he simply a childhood friend? An older brother figure? …A crush or something more? Aqua couldn't choose, but despite that, Terra was precious to her.

She watched as the union between Terra's body and his reanimated armor – both of which were prisoner to Xehanort and the Keyblade Graveyard respectively – came together after a fierce, unquenchable battle. Aqua and the others only wanted to retrieve Terra's lost armor before Xehanort – heart still in possession of her cherished friend – ambushed them on the world Aqua condemned to hell. It was challenging since Terra's armor also went berserk and attacked indiscriminately, but thanks to Sora and his friends, it was (partially) over. A ray of light shone so brightly that everyone shielded their eyes from the blast. Aqua fought to stand her ground even after a torrent of wind swept the area; her mind only thinking of one person and one person only: Terra.

"Look!" Donald, one of Mickey's long time companions called out after the calamity settled. Enticed, Aqua's quickly dropped the arm that shielded her eyes and gasped in shock.

Terra's body had disappeared and only his armor remained. It floated in midair before slowly descending to the ground on its feet; truly looking lifeless with the helmet glancing towards the ground and arms held limply by its sides; its Keyblade, Ends of the Earth, loosely held in hand with the armor's cape dancing in the weaker gust. Aqua could hardly breathe.

Sora, the boy who rescued her from the Realm of Darkness, held his Keyblade defensively; mostly likely out of instinct. "Which is it? Xehanort?"

"Hold on, Sora!" Ventus urged with an immediately plea, stepping in front of the brunet. "What if it's not Xehanort?"

"Terra…" His name slipped past her lips and the blue-haired Keyblade Master unconsciously took a step forward towards the unmoving armor. Her blue eyes were so focused; nothing else seemed to shake her from her state. She stared with baited breath at the armor where it stood and suddenly, Aqua saw Terra's armor twitch; the head slowly tilting upwards before it dawned on her that it was _moving. _Overwhelmed, Aqua quickly rushed over without a second thought.

"Aqua!" Ventus called out.

She could feel her eyes burning, but Aqua ignored it once she was within the armor's reach. Automatically, her arms spread out to catch the rusted armor as it fell forward. There was _weight _to this armor and she welcomed it as her heart pounded faster against her rib cage. Unable to act as a sturdy pillar, Aqua fell to her knees with the armor following after her, but not once did she let go for fear of _him _disappearing. Screwing her eyes tightly, Aqua prayed that this was real; that this wasn't a dream.

It was quiet to her before, finally, _he _spoke. "…Aqua…" She sucked in a shaky breath; only nodding her forehead against the armor's shoulder. The voice was so weak…but it was _him. _His heavy Keyblade hit the ground before Aqua felt the coarse nature of one of _his_ gauntlets on her back. He asked again; this time with a little more conviction. "Aqua?"

"I'm here," Aqua replied; voice cracking. "I'm here, Terra."

"I…I can't…"

Figuring out what he wanted, Aqua gently pulled away – still held in his arms – and her shaky hands grabbed the sides of his helmet. Biting her bottom lip to stop from trembling, she lifted the rusted metal slowly over his head. Sun-kissed skin, earthen brown hair…cobalt blue eyes…

It was _Terra. _

No longer able to hold back, Aqua let the tears roll down her face, dropping the helmet on the dusty terrain in favor of cupping his face in her hands. His skin was warm and flushed, she saw her reflection in _his_ eyes, and this _wasn't _a dream. A muffled sound escaped her as she pressed her forehead desperately against his. "It _is _you…!"

His gloved hands tenderly lay on the areas behind her ears. Terra tried to comfort her only to show that he was just as emotional as she was at that moment. "Yeah; I'm here, Aqua. I'm…I'm back."

"Terra…Terra!" She threw her arms tightly around him and the brunet reciprocated with a firmer embrace. Aqua cried against him even as his shoulders shook; the blue-haired Keyblade Master repeatedly calling out his name like a mantra. Eventually Ventus and the others gathered around; the blond sliding hastily towards them and joined the group hug; tears and all. Aqua soon found herself smiling again as she held her boys lovingly. They were together again; their trio was united and it was complete. After ten years of waiting, sadness, and dreaming, they were _one_ again.

_"When we become Keyblade Masters, you'll have my back no matter where I am, right?"_

As memories of their past flooded through her mind, Aqua felt relaxed after such a long time. It was her heart that led them to Terra's suit of armor; she had wanted to save Terra from his despair at long last. And now…

He was free.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

_Aqua pulled her gaze from the mountainous view to blink before humming with a tiny upturn of her lips. "What brought this on?"_

"_I dunno." Terra shrugged sheepishly. "Guess I got nervous since our Mark of Mastery's in one week."_

"_I see." She giggled in amusement. Looking down at her lap as Terra stared up at the stars at the usual spot, Aqua whispered quietly to herself with an affectionate smile. "Even if you didn't ask, I'll always be there for you, Terra."_


	10. Eternal Love

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Update… Yes… |D Haha! Um, no excuses because that isn't fun. Just be happy I updated one of my stories? Yay? -shot- OTL Anyways! This one got a little hard to write. I had so many different scenarios, but none of them would stick. This scenario seemed to be the easiest to write, though I think it leaned a bit on the original source of where the song is from. I really wanted to write something with snow, but it just would not pan out. :'D Maybe one of the future prompts I have… Haha. Funny thing is, when I was writing about the fireworks, I was reminded of one of my really early TerQua drabbles… I feel like this was kind of a nod to that one (if that made any sense). xD

Booo…I really love this song. The singer just has a lovely voice and the melody (at the beginning anyways) sounds like a music box/lullaby. It reminded me of snow; hence why I originally wanted to mention snow at all in this theme. :P

But anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing! Kudos to _PrincessGarnet17, GoldenDragon326, KAISRE, Terra ForceXIII, Legendary Dark Knight's Throne, WishingDreamer5, Jennifer Rose Swanepoel _(formerly _Lien-Hua _I believe), _KHLegacy, resistance123, becksterRES, Rapis-Razuri, RealmofDawn, robyn little, Salve-SiS, AquaStormXIV, SoraSakuraba896, Damonica, PromiseInTheRain, Peppermint-n-Spice, Guest, HeartofFyrwinde, AmuletMisty,_ and _pikachu203_ for taking the time to review the first batch of chapters! :) The support is much appreciated!

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Drama/Slight Romance; no explicit warnings.**  
Song Link (YouTube): **_/watch?v=KdTntbSpIIM _(turn on the captions for translated lyrics)**  
Timeline: **Speculative Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **Just a moment of understanding… It's funny how something like fireworks could bring back memories of a simpler time.

* * *

**.: Eternal Love :.**

_"There was never any doubt that the two of us wouldn't be able to face tomorrow, was there?"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Sometimes it was hard to believe how far the people of this world have come in less than a few years. From what Aqua was told, Radiant Garden had fallen more than a decade ago; one year after she plunged into the darkness to save a dear friend. It pained her to know her sacrifice did more harm than good, but she supposed that didn't matter as much now that the people were rebuilding their future.

An honest smile lit her face as she walked down a reconstructed street within the castle town. People were flocking towards the square in merriment and children – _children – _were all smiles as they played and chased each other; rings of laughter echoing into the evening. A festival was taking place in celebration of the rebirth of what was once called the City of Light.

"You're awfully happy."

That familiar voice caused Aqua to stop walking momentarily. Her eyes darted to the side before facing forward again as her smile struggled to widen. "I guess the atmosphere's rubbing off on me." Aqua only heard a quiet snort and a curt laugh escaped her. Locking her hands behind her back, she looked up at the stars and listened as music poured out from the square. "Terra, why are you standing in an alleyway by yourself?"

"I didn't want to be seen by anyone," he replied; Aqua knowing there was a deeper implication in his words. When the Keyblade Master finally glanced at him with her full attention, she took note of the effort Terra took to conceal himself. He leaned back into the shadows against the wall; arms crossed and the hood of a cloak hiding his face. She was well aware that his eyes were on her.

"You've made yourself known to me."

"You're an exception. I didn't want people of _this _world seeing me."

Aqua frowned. She walked up to him, trying to catch his eyes now that he looked away. "Then tell me, Terra, why would you come here if that's the case?"

He was quiet for a moment before stammering. "I…I just wanted to…"

"…You were patrolling for Heartless." Once Terra stiffened, Aqua knew she was right. Another giggle escaped her as she walked down the street again. "Funny. I thought of doing the same thing before being dismissed."

"Dismissed?" Aqua didn't have to turn around to know Terra was following her shortly after a hesitant step out of the darkness.

She nodded, replying, "That Leon guy said he and his friends could take care of things; although I'm 'paraphrasing' his words. Still…he didn't turn me away completely. He said I should stay for the fireworks display."

"Tonight?" Terra blinked in surprise.

"Yeah. I mean, that's why people are so festive after all," Aqua explained. She teased while attempting to look under the brunet's hood. "Don't tell me you've been _that _oblivious. The atmosphere is so obvious!"

He sighed in a mixture of annoyance and fatigue, gazing at her with a weak smile. "You're probably right. Then again, I'm avoiding large crowds of people remember? A festival is the least of my worries."

Aqua returned to full height, realizing how inconsiderate she was. Of course Terra wouldn't have noticed. His reasons for avoiding people, keeping a lookout for stray Heartless, and hiding his face under a hood… Terra was ashamed of himself for what he did – what _Xehanort_ did – to this world. It was an obligation Terra felt necessary as a means of redemption and he couldn't show his face until he'd proven himself worthy. Terra…he was too altruistic now. It made her tighten a fist as she glanced to the side.

"You should enjoy the festival, Aqua. Forget about the Heartless."

"Will you?" Her response baffled Terra. Aqua looked up at him pleadingly. "Stop acting like you _have _to take the burden by yourself. You don't have to do it alone because I…Terra, I—"

Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud bang in the sky. Both Keyblade wielders looked up to see bright lights exploding in the air in a variety of colors; people cheering in the distance as more lights exploded. Aqua couldn't rip her eyes away from the sight. The fireworks reminded her so much of the meteor showers back home…and she wouldn't doubt Terra was thinking the same thing.

Slowly looking at him – the brunet still mystified by the brilliant colors – Aqua thought for a moment before quickly pulling down his hood. Terra snapped out of his daze and stared at her, confusion written all over his face. She could only smile affectionately; reassured that Terra was still there underneath that hood. "You don't have to hide, Terra. You still have people who believe in you."

The brunet remained silent even as people passed by them without a second glance. It was like nothing else mattered but them as blue gazes mixed together. Terra broke away first with a small quirk of his lips and that caused Aqua to laugh. "You made a wish on those fireworks didn't you?"

Aqua hummed, fighting off the blush that wanted to cross her face. "They're 'wishing fireworks'. At least, that's what Aerith said—"

She was rendered speechless when Terra threw his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side until she was sharing his cloak. Terra was so warm and Aqua unconsciously leaned against him while snaking her own arms around his waist. She was thankful that no one was around at that moment.

"You don't have to lie, Aqua. If I remember correctly, you used to do that all the time when we were kids, except the 'fireworks' were meteor showers." Terra smugly smiled.

"You aren't wrong, but you aren't right either," Aqua retorted; eyes to the sky. If she could feel bliss like this – even for just a short while – then Aqua would welcome it…

"…Hey."

"Hmm?"

But perhaps one of her wishes came true when Terra leaned down and took her breath away.


	11. Wedding Dress

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **LOL What's this? A quick update? xD Honestly doing one because I felt the urge to write TerQua AND I've been _dying_ to write something based on this song since I started this challenge (I randomized my song choices in an order LOL). -heart- I can't really say much without ruining the chapter so I won't. I will just let you enjoy. =P

So I was extremely surprised when I went video hunting for this song on YouTube. I had no idea there was a dance version video separate from the original video. It was a _very _pleasant surprise…I love this song so effing much! xD

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! Please remember to R&R!

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Romance/Drama; no explicit warnings.**  
Song Link (YouTube): **Original MV: _/watch?v=Pf7CxKgiTGc _– English Version: _/watch?v=ZsyqRzDOeP0_**  
Timeline: **Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **If there was one word to describe her at this moment, then it was breathtaking. This was her day and Terra only wanted her to smile.

* * *

**.: Wedding Dress :.**

_"I've been living the lies for too long  
Yet, she would look at me and smile"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

She was the most beautiful creature in the entire room. Terra couldn't stop himself from letting a coy smile touch his lips as he watched his childhood friend make her way down the aisle in a tight-fitting white wedding dress. Aqua held in her hands a bouquet of equally white roses tied together with a blue lace ribbon as a veil fell over her face; a bright gleeful smile stretching from one ear to the other. Aqua was the epitome of a blushing bride.

Just looking at her made his heart race and Terra unconsciously tightened his hands together as he stood at the front of the aisle as Aqua approached. To be honest, the brunet still couldn't believe this girl – no, this _woman_ – was dressed the way she was. It was going to happen, that much he knew, but…somehow this felt as if things were moving too fast; maybe that was where his anxiety stemmed from.

Aqua, to him, was still that little girl Master Eraqus introduced as his second apprentice for the first time. She was still that girl who would sneak into his bedroom for comfort when thunderstorms plagued the rainy seasons in the Land of Departure. She was still that girl who gave him hugs when he was hurting, but his pride got in the way of being honest. Time had separated them for more than a decade, but the blue-haired woman had kept that vigor of hope in her heart. Her smile hadn't changed and her compassion had only gotten stronger. Anyone could see that she deserved to be happy, but Terra knew this most of all.

That was why he stood here today, waiting for Aqua to complete her walk. Terra was here to see through to Aqua's happiness.

Stealthily as he could manage, Terra scanned his surroundings. It was a quaint ceremony within the chapel, but it suited Aqua's modesty; she was never one to ask for anything extravagant after all. The majority of those attending the ceremony were very close friends and comrades who were treated like family. Sitting in the pews to his right, the brunet spotted the kids from Destiny Islands. It was obvious how Kairi's eyes were lit with wonder and Terra didn't miss the secretive glances she threw Sora, though the boy was too engrossed with the actual ceremony to notice. Poor Sora…even Riku could see (with an amused smirk) the hints Kairi was throwing! The Restoration Committee from Hollow Bastion (Terra had to correct himself: it was _Radiant Garden _again), Mickey and his entourage, and even Master Yen Sid were present. If only Master Eraqus was here too, but Terra knew the Master would be happy for Aqua…

Someone nudged his side and Terra noticed Ventus giving him a teasing grin. Ventus's blue eyes spoke volumes: he was happy for Aqua too. Terra stared for a moment before lifting his head to find Aqua only a few steps away now. She beamed at him – eyes glistening with mirth – and let out a quiet giggle. The action was contagious; Terra letting out a chuckle of his own before taking one step forward, offering Aqua his palm. She reached for him and the feel of her skin was enough to send shivers throughout his body.

This was actually happening…

Just when he was about to go blank, the brunet felt his fingers being clutched. Terra locked eyes with the bride once more; gazing into a face so radiant that he still couldn't believe it was _Aqua_ under that veil. It was as if time had stopped and her oceanic eyes were only on him.

…But reality wasn't like that.

She squeezed his fingers one last time before Aqua glanced forward with a smile that was _never _for him. Ignoring how his heart ached, Terra guided Aqua to the front of the altar…and towards the man she was promised to. His mind began to reel with each step Aqua took; her hand slipping away and leaving him cold and abandoned.

He was numb as he returned to his spot beside Ventus – the side that represented Aqua's _family_ – and numb as the wedding continued with the exchange of vows. Terra was numb as he wallowed within his conflicted emotions. Did he really want this to happen? Did he want Aqua walking away – arm-in-arm – with a man that was not _him?_ The brunet could still remember that rueful day she announced her engagement. She was over the moon and Terra could only say his congratulations. However, his heart just couldn't accept it; he was still in love with Aqua after all these years and, just when they could be relatively 'normal' again, she was already moving on into a future where he would be left behind.

"…If for any reason these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace," the minister's voice interrupted Terra's turmoil.

This was his moment! Terra could stop this from continuing and stop Aqua from making a _mistake._ He could declare his honest feelings and run away with her—he could make her _happy. _Yes, that was the plan and it had to happen _now…_but Terra just couldn't do it; not when the expression on Aqua's face was completely and utterly ecstatic. The woman he had grown up with – had fallen in love with during the course of his life – was _content_…and Terra couldn't destroy that mirth because Aqua deserved to be happy.

With a heavy heart, Terra bit down on his bottom lip until he drew blood, let his nails dig into his skin as his hands locked firmly together, and remained silent on behalf of Aqua's future happiness. Even when she quickly glanced at him with a gentle smile, the brunet merely returned it in kind because everything was for her; even at the expense of his unrequited feelings. And as the minister continued to speak, Terra could only close his eyes to silence his tears.

"…You may now kiss the bride…"


	12. Beautiful Hangover

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Mmm, I think we need happy time away from the last chapter. :'D LOL Though I am pleased to say, I got the responses I wanted. xD Anyways, a happier theme! …Well, depends on your definition of 'happy'; I find this happy if only because I like my TerQua with a bit of a spicy side. ;) I could have written this another way, but…let's just stick to hinted intimacy, yeah? At least for this challenge. :P I would say that writing the ending was the difficult part because I didn't want this to end. xD

Song is ultra hot in my opinion, but that's probably because I like the artist group. -heart- I have not grown out of my fondness for the guy with the deep voice. I squeal every time he opens his mouth. OTL Ahem… Uh, yeah. Love the song and the beat. :3

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Romance/Humor; mentions of alcohol and light suggestiveness.**  
Song Link (YouTube): **_/watch?v=lm9-HKD1WNQ _(make sure the captions are on)**  
Timeline: **Post-KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **To be honest, neither of them had ever done something in 'excess' like other young adults, but Terra just had to test the waters. Luckily Aqua was there to make things endurable the next morning.

* * *

**.: Beautiful Hangover :.**

"_You are my beautiful hangover"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Even though she only placed the glass of water _gently _on the side table, Terra felt as if Aqua dropped a brick on his head. He screwed his eyes shut in hopes of stopping that dreaded ringing, but the sound only intensified and Terra let out a groan while burying his head into the pillow. Soon enough, he felt Aqua run her fingers through his hair; her body weight pressing down on the bed.

It was quiet before she giggled. "I told you so."

"…Shut up." Terra muffled in his pillow. He felt another headache coming and openly complained. "I can't even talk. It just makes the sounds louder…"

"But it's so _quiet._ Ven and Lea aren't even here at the moment. I don't understand."

…She was enjoying this _too _much. Terra shifted on the bed to glare at her; Aqua only giving him a faux smile when her eyes spoke mischief. "You _know _what I mean."

"I do." Aqua tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "But it's not my fault you ended up drunk last night. Had I known about your intolerance, I probably would've kept you away from Lea."

"It was a get-together party and he challenged me. A little alcohol wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Except in _your_ case. Let's face it, Terra: you aren't used to alcohol."

"Well, what do you expect? The Master kept us away from _that _vice," The brunet shot back, rolling on his back and covering his eyes with an arm. He'd have to get even with Lea. So what if the guy was practically a 'new friend'? Somewhere in the depths of Terra's mixed memories with Xehanort, the brunet faintly recalled a troublesome redhead who had the same devilishly glint in his eyes that Lea possessed. What was worse was that _Aqua_ saw Terra in an incapacitated state—_because _of Lea!

The bed began to dip again and Terra dropped his arm in curiosity. The motion allowed Aqua to hold his face as she smiled; Terra remaining silent with his eyes flitting to the side. He knew he was red from the alcohol, but the true cause of his heated face was the beautiful woman lying close to him. "…So what did I do last night?"

"Do you really wanna know?" Aqua hummed, sitting on her legs now. "Well luckily, you didn't do any retching; thank goodness."

Sighing, Terra pushed himself up on his forearms. He rested part of his upper body on the backboard of his bed as cobalt met sapphire when Terra remained aloft, rephrasing his earlier sentiment. "You know what I mean."

The blue-haired Keyblade Master looked down before innocently glancing at the brunet from beneath her long eyelashes. "Mmm…I'd rather not say."

To this, Terra blinked. "So then…I did do something?"

"Water?" Aqua ignored, reaching for the glass still sitting on Terra's side table.

The brunet frowned impatiently, knitting his eyebrows together and his edginess caused him to miss how Aqua nonchalantly took a sip of his water. "Quit changing the sub—"

Almost immediately, he was hushed when Aqua leaned down and planted a kiss. She took advantage of his surprise and forced Terra's mouth open, letting the cool liquid in her mouth slide down his throat. He involuntarily swallowed and Aqua gradually parted with him, keeping the distance between them minimal as she whispered. "You wouldn't leave me alone last night…"

Why was it that when Aqua used that tone of voice, he felt this urge to play along? Terra didn't know why, but he knew…_'good'_ things usually followed after; at least after they had gotten past that awkward stage in their ever-changing relationship. His voice was equally as soft. "Sorry. So what did you do?"

"What could I do?" Aqua questioned rhetorically, playing with Terra's hair. Even as she allowed Terra's hands to rest on her waist, the blue-haired mage carried on. "You weren't an obnoxious drunk, but you were…_troublesome._ I had to nurse you."

A smug smile touched his face. "Was I a handful?"

"Yes." Aqua returned his arrogance. "You fell asleep on me."

Before she could move away, Terra pulled her down until _she _was the one on the bed with the brunet trapping her from above. It didn't surprise him that Aqua was trying to contain her laughter instead of screaming in protest. Grinning, Terra brushed his nose against hers before kissing her forehead affectionately. "I can fix that."

"Drink your water, Terra. I brought it to you for a reason," Aqua lightly stated; Terra taking liberties to kiss the corners of her mouth. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Aqua hummed. "I'm surprised you're willing to move. Don't you still have a headache?"

"It's not that bad anymore." Closing the distance between them once again – Aqua shaking her head with a sigh – Terra whispered. "I'm starting to think my inebriation wasn't due to drinking last night."

Aqua smiled with anticipation. "I see…"

She tasted so sweet when they kissed and Terra was _almost _glad that he 'fell asleep' on her last night; otherwise…he wouldn't have remembered a damn thing—

_**BOOM!**_

_That _most definitely caused his headache (and the ringing noise) to come back full circle. Terra regretfully pulled away, clutching his head in his hands (under a slew of curse words) as Aqua sat up…with a casual blink of her eyes. "I thought I told Ven _not _to practice Flare magic without my supervision."

_Thanks, Aqua, _Terra begrudgingly thought and rubbed his temples. Collapsing his weight on Aqua – hearing her squeak in surprise – the brunet muttered. "Stay here."

"But, Terra—"

"Lea's probably with Ven." He wrapped his arms around her and they fell on the mattress together; Terra taking in the scent of Aqua's shampoo. "They'll be fine."

Aqua gaped. "You're okay with that?"

"…Lea owes me."

"Terra!"

Though she was scolding him now, Terra smiled as he watched her. Aqua was the first thing he saw when he woke up in the morning and he honestly didn't mind.


	13. Oath Sign

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Hmm, this didn't come out quite the way I wanted, partly because when I write action stuff, I ramble on. And since this challenge has a word cap… LOL XD I have, like, two other versions of this: the extra long, unfinished draft; the 1000-word draft that had dialogue; and then this. I didn't know which one to choose between the 1000-word drafts, but I went with this one just because 1) I wanted to add an action-y one-shot, 2) it had more of the 'feeling' I wanted to connect with the melody of the song…kind of. ._. And 3) I wanted this to end with a moment of tenderness. -heart- I may or not upload the longer draft as a separate one-shot; who knows. -shrug- So yeah, sorry if this one's a little boring or a little weird. :'3

Ack! What can I say? This song was _partially _the reason why I obsessed over Type-Moon's Fate series during the summer holidays last year (and Fate/Zero was just the crème de la crème of anime I have seen in a long time, IMHO). Besides the series having epic mythos, this song just added, as TVTropes would say, a 'Crowning Moment of Awesome'. xD …Hence why I included the anime opening. LOL

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! I hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Action (why doesn't FFN have this genre?)/Romance; slight violence I guess?**  
Song Link (Vimeo): **_ vimeo-dot-com /30649621 _(remove space, dashes, and replace the word "dot" with the actual period. Damn you, FFN…)**  
Timeline: **Speculative KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **Sometimes, Terra just needed to let out his anxiety and Aqua knew it was best done through sparring. After all, that was why he attacked out of the blue right?

* * *

**.: Oath Sign :.**

"_If my budding feelings resonate in my chest  
Then I'll protect you forever, as always, by your side_"

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

It was by request that she was even here tonight; exchanging strikes with Terra under the moonlight.

When she saw him earlier today, Terra had been quiet despite everyone's combined efforts to determine a plan of attack before the impending battle with Xehanort. Terra's mind was obviously _not _on Radiant Garden and Aqua – try as she may – was much too distracted _because _the brunet wasn't paying attention. Once the meeting was adjourned with Mickey and the others did Terra speak for the first time, asking to meet her in secret at the Bailey—later in the evening…_alone._ Aqua had no reason to distrust Terra's request (although the 'seeing her alone' part threw her for a loop), so she slipped out of her temporary quarters when everyone was asleep.

Aqua found Terra staring up at the moon once she reached the top of the Bailey, and quite honestly, the sight caused anxiety to bubble in her chest. It was reminiscent to how he was more than ten years ago; when she first encountered Terra's possessed state. He had snapped her out of her thoughts; barely strung more than ten sentences together before he raised his Keyblade and attacked her. It caught Aqua completely off-guard and made her wonder if Terra had lost his mind, but that tiny hint of a playful smirk on his, otherwise, serious face during their first scrimmage was enough to tell her that he was only playing… Or at least _his _definition of 'playing'.

Ducking out of the way when Terra attacked with a vertical slash, Aqua attempted to lunge forward only for Terra to expertly sidestep, grabbing the rounded part of Aqua's Keyblade in his free hand and tossing her aside. Aqua barely kept herself from hitting the ground and slid across the floor. A small wince of pain escaped her before she glared at Terra's back. They've been fighting for almost ten minutes now – beads of sweat rolling down skin, clothes torn and ripped, and adrenaline replacing pain – but Terra didn't look exhausted in the slightest. His face had barely changed expression, yet Aqua was breathing like her life depended on it.

It was almost unbearable how rejuvenated Terra was—as if his body was _made_ specifically for the battlefield… And then Aqua wondered how much of that statement was true. Terra was a physical fighter, yes, but he wasn't a _machine. _What had given Terra this much stamina? This will to fight while ignoring pain?

…Xehanort.

When he whipped around, Aqua countered Terra's fire ball by throwing a large ice crystal; the collision causing an explosion of heavy steam to fill the Bailey. It was almost impossible to see anything, but Aqua used this to her advantage. If she could just get behind Terra and immobilize him, Aqua could end this 'play-fight'. She wasn't as fast as Ventus, but she sure was faster than Terra. Springing into action, Aqua made an arch to charge in Terra's supposed direction; grip on her Keyblade tight, but her plan of action was cut short when Terra was suddenly rushing her with the same plan in mind. Gasping, Aqua quickly stopped in her step and bent her upper body backwards; barely missing Terra's Keyblade. However, something was wrong; the way Terra held his Keyblade…

_No! _She realized it too late. Terra was holding his Keyblade with his _left _hand; not his dominant _right_ hand. Terra…he was _never_ ambidextrous before.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Terra used his free hand to follow up his attack and Aqua struggled to throw up her Keyblade in defense. They were still in motion when they collided and Aqua soon found herself slamming, back first, into the brick wall. A cry of pain slipped past her lips, but she refused to give in; pushing back as much as she could against Terra's strength with her Keyblade. However, once she locked eyes with him did she suddenly feel a tension that wasn't quite there moments ago. With faces inches apart and heated breaths mingling together, Aqua saw how Terra's eyes began clouding over with exhaustion, and yet, she felt something…_more._ Her heart thumped loudly and, for the quick second that she closed her eyes and licked her lips, Aqua realized Terra leaned down to meet her.

It scared her at first – caught her by surprise – but soon enough, Aqua relinquished all common sense when the gentle touch of his lips pressed on hers. It was warm as it was desperate and Aqua wondered if this sense of need came from her or Terra. Maybe…they both wanted to cling onto something real; grounded. With a slow, almost sensual movement, they both pulled away, gazing hazily at each other before Terra began ghosting his lips over Aqua's face. Her eyes fluttered close and Aqua let out a quiet exhale, enjoying this sudden moment of intimacy between them and dismissed her Keyblade. Aqua embraced the brunet and buried the side of her face into his shoulder. It made her smile when she felt the warmth of his arms encircling her tenderly.

Aqua still didn't know where this…_affection _would lead them in the future, but she did know one thing: the reason Terra called her out tonight…she understood it now. Terra felt something about himself changed and Aqua knew that it had something to do with Xehanort. The intonation of Terra's voice when he sometimes spoke; how he would react with little emotion to even the slightest joke anymore; even the way he moved in battle was a little different. Terra was afraid that he was _still _Xehanort and he wanted someone to tell him that it wasn't true. _She_ would know more than anyone the difference between him and the fallen Master; and that was why he called her here tonight—to prove himself and she would provide reassurance.

It was funny…Terra didn't have to do anything. After all, Aqua already vowed to protect him and his heart.

This time, she would stay by his side always.


	14. Trust Me

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Another kid one-shot! So cute. ;w; Haha. Really loved this one just because it's pretty much fluff and I feel that I haven't written 'fluff' fluff in a while. That, and I pretty much love writing Terra as a brat of sorts…Aqua too I guess? 8D; -shot-

I don't know about you, but this song has been parodied a LOT on YouTube so you might know it. XD It's an awesome song from one of my favorite anime, but _holy crap! _YouTube's been going around cutting out the audio on some of the parody videos containing this song, including the KH parody. I absolutely went mental because it's a _bunch_ of KH/FF parodies that YouTube is 'audio-censoring' and I happen to like watching those videos from time to time… Luckily I found another upload of the KH parody for this song with the audio still intact. =_= I **recommend **you watch the parody whether or not you know Japanese before YT cuts out the audio. The awesome/nostalgia/feels factor man… Plus, Terra. ;A; Ven and Aqua should've totally traded places. -shot- Er, yeah… Besides my rant… XD

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy and R&R!

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**Genres/Warnings: **Friendship/Family; no explicit warnings.**  
Song Link (YouTube): **KH Parody: _/watch?v=Ru3xZFgbmQk_ – Original (Mirrored): _/watch?v=gdSYIRXMnoQ_**  
Timeline: **Pre-BbS**  
Mini-Summary: **He was still learning, but Terra was beginning to understand that taking care of another was a big responsibility.

* * *

**.: Trust Me :.**

"_Don't hesitate to cry and rely on me  
I decided long ago to accept all your burdens."_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Why.

It was a word that occasional came out of Terra's limited dictionary because it summed up almost everything he had ever questioned in his eight years of life. However, Terra also hated that exact word because no one, not even Master Eraqus, would give him a straight answer for absolutely everything.

Why was it difficult to become a Keyblade Master? Why was it a secret to keep the worlds from knowing about other worlds? Why were boys and girls so _different?_ …Master Eraqus was especially iffy explaining _that,_ so the brunet moved on to ask where babies came from… Needless to say, Master Eraqus forbade Terra from asking questions that had nothing to do with Keyblade discipline until he was older.

…_But that wasn't the point! _The 'point' was the person in front of him, burying her face in her knees. Terra considered Aqua his best friend – despite the fact that she was a girl – but he just couldn't understand her sometimes; like now.

Frowning, Terra crouched in front of Aqua, petting the top of her blue crown in comfort. "C'mon, Aqua. It's not so bad."

"Yes it is. You lied," Aqua murmured against her knees.

He tried so hard not to roll his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think the plank would break." When Aqua remained quiet, Terra sighed. That dreaded question was there again: _why _was Aqua such a cry baby? Terra attempted to pull her hands away from her face, ignoring how she fought against him. "Look! You're alright—you don't have any bruises or anything!"

"I don't care!" Aqua screeched back; finally giving Terra a proper view of her face. Uh-oh—he was in trouble; he made Aqua cry. The little girl wailed and covered her face with her hands again; Terra leaning away with a wince. "You promised that this would be fun, but you got hurt!"

…When he got older, Aqua would be the _last _girl he'd ever get involved with—and that was a _man's _promise! He would admit that this excursion through the forest and to the lake had a little…setback, but how was Terra to know? He'd gone on the same excursion for the last two years; even before Aqua became the Master's second apprentice! Then again…the wooden plank they used to cross the deep ditch to get to the lake _was _rickety and old now…

"I-I'm sorry…" He heard Aqua sniffle. Blinking at her, Terra saw how she tried to wipe away all her tears. Hanging her head, she muttered. "If I knew how to use a healing spell…"

The brunet only gave her a hard stare, tilting his head with a furrow of his eyebrows. He didn't know why (that question came up _again?_), but there were times when Aqua was a real pain and then there were times she was just so…so _cute _to the point that he wanted to protect her like he did; when they fell into the ditch. The boy instinctively used his body as a shield for her, though he ended up with scrapes, bruises, and probably a broken bone somewhere in his body… Probably…

Terra pinched Aqua's nose and shook her head, earning a cry of protest on her part as she tried escaping. He laughed, letting a big grin touch his face. "You're such a girl, Aqua! See look; I'm smiling! If I was really hurt, do you think I'd smile?" When she hesitantly shook her head, Terra nodded. "Right! No way are a few cuts gonna scare me off. I mean, that would be unbecoming of a Keyblade Master and I plan to become one of the best!"

"But…doesn't it hurt?" Aqua coyly asked, standing up as Terra proudly puffed out his chest.

Hmm…what was that thing the Master told him? Ah! That's right. Smiling, Terra glanced at Aqua. "Yeah, but no one ever gets anywhere unless they feel _some _pain. There's always going to be obstacles in the way and if you're scared off by a little pain, then there's no way you'll be the best of the best!"

Aqua hummed, looking down at her shoes. When she lifted her head again, she nodded with a small smile. "I see…"

"Yup! And you don't have to worry, Aqua." Terra ruffled her hair as he kept his eyes on the girl's bigger ones. "You _and _me are going to become great Keyblade Masters. I'm not going to abandon you—I'll protect you. Trust me."

Suddenly, Aqua was doing that weird thing where she would stare at him without blinking. He couldn't explain why (stupid word!), but Terra noticed she only ever acted like this when Terra had – what he called – his 'big brother' moment. The scenario always played out cool in his head, but when Aqua stared like _that, _reality just made his 'cool' aspect seem awkward and Terra would start flooding with heat…like now.

"Uh, I mean, you know…if you want me to…" Terra awkwardly phrased, scratching the side of his face while staring up at the sky.

Aqua was no longer mute as she giggled; Terra throwing her a hesitant glance. Her smile just kept getting brighter and his face kept getting hotter. "Okay! I trust you, Terra."

Sometimes, having Aqua around threw him off balance. It made Terra wonder if being the oldest made things feel different now that he was partially responsible for Aqua. Still…it didn't seem so bad. Even as they trekked through the forest on their way back to the castle (since it was getting late and Terra's injuries were starting to ache), Terra didn't mind Aqua's dependency on him. She tried so hard not to shiver when the slightest chill blew past them or tear up when the sun started to set, but even then, Terra _still_ offered her his hand. Aqua didn't have to hide her insecurities when she was with him; he was there to take them away. So when she took his hand, Terra knew she trusted him.


	15. EVER

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **Hmm, this didn't quite come out the way I wanted it since I did want to add a serious Terra, but instead…he came out how I usually write him: playful and devil-may-care. LOL Oh well, I'm more comfortable writing him like that; can't force myself to write serious!Terra to save my life. :3 -shot-  
A bit of information: this supposed takes place during one of those huge battles in KH3 after everyone's reunited, blah, blah, blah… And then they get separated by a series of events before another epic showdown (creative I know). Terra and Aqua just 'happen' to pair off and are now fighting for their lives. xD

Love, love, _love _this song. It's very pumped-up and the lyrics I think are awesome. The tempo of the song is the reason why I wanted a bit of action in this, though some of the seriousness didn't come out. :P

Thanks for reading and reviewing (to _Guest: _I'll keep your suggestion in mind if I don't already have something planned for the future chapters. ;3)! Please enjoy and R&R!

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**Genres/Warnings: **Action/Romance/Humor; light violence.**  
Song Link (YouTube): **Video: _/watch?v=3aBChrgoXgQ _– Lyrics: _amaia-dot-livejournal-dot-com /159877 .html _(remove spaces and replace 'dot' with a period)**  
Timeline: **Speculative KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **She was fighting for her life again, but unlike before, Aqua didn't have to look over her shoulder in fear. If she did, it was only to catch a glimpse of him.

* * *

**.: EVER :.**

_"If you can smile at your pain, and stand up  
Even your weakness from up until now will vanish"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Aqua performed a dazzling spin while attacking the circle of Heartless with her Keyblade, Storm Fall; of which she had recently reunited with. The dark shadows were reduced to smoke, but the blue-haired Keyblade Master knew she wasn't out of danger just yet. Quickly scanning her surroundings, Aqua felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise and she quickly leaped into the air; barely avoiding the attack of a large, round Heartless. Narrowing her eyes, Aqua twisted her body to better aim her Keyblade on her target; concentrating a ball of energy on the tip of the blade. Feeling the magic surge, Aqua released her attack and projectile-like magic rained down on the Heartless.

Satisfied, Aqua gracefully landed on her feet and smiled. Her days (or hours) trapped within the Dark Realm hadn't been for nothing after all—

A roar rang out to her left and Aqua was mortified to find that she misjudged her execution and landed close to a behemoth of a Heartless. It charged ferociously in her direction – horns aching for blood – and unfortunately, Aqua didn't have time to plan out a countermeasure and was left defenseless.

Suddenly, she heard the cry of a warrior from above and the figure of a man immediately dropped from the sky and protected her, taking the brunt of the Heartless's tackle. The collision caused their surroundings to shake with power, forcing Aqua to shield her eyes of the dust flying in the air. When she opened her oceanic eyes to peek at her savior, she found Terra pushing against the giant purple Heartless with his Keyblade; his teeth clenched tightly as he grunted under his breath. The Heartless joined the brunet in this contest of pure strength, but it wasn't enough as Terra soon forced it away with a swing of his heavy Keyblade.

Once the behemoth was tossed aside (squashing several other Heartless), Terra looked over his shoulder with – not concern – but with a smug grin. "Aqua, get your game together."

The woman in question stared blankly before rolling her eyes. Standing up, Aqua proceeded to speak, but opted for attacking the wyvern Heartless that dived for assault. The blue-haired Master shot up her hand and called forth a barrier, knocking the Heartless some feet away. Terra stood amazed and Aqua felt it necessary to return Terra's haughtiness as she brushed back her hair; casually teasing. "I will once you remember to protect your defenses."

He chuckled dryly; impressed by Aqua's smidge of smugness before he adopted a serious outlook when his eyes glanced the battlefield. Aqua could sense his urgency and, by instinct, both Keyblade wielders automatically pressed their backs together with weapons at the ready. The Heartless were definitely growing in number as they formed a perimeter around them. She knew they were more than capable to defeat the Heartless, but Aqua hadn't faced a horde this big since her time in the Realm of Darkness. Her eyes darted left and right, sighing a bit when she realized that she and Terra would be in over their heads.

"You know, when I told Riku we'd take care of the Heartless here so he could chase after Sora and Ventus, I didn't think we had to deal with this much backlog," Terra spoke, breaking through Aqua's thoughts. Confused, Aqua looked over her shoulder. She couldn't see Terra's face completely, but there was a smile in his voice and Aqua assumed he was making 'small-talk' before the impending battle.

She asked half-heartedly with a raised eyebrow. "Are you worried about us?"

The brunet chuckled in jest. "I'm worried if that kid can take care of himself since we're out here."

Aqua unintentionally coughed to withhold a laugh. Joking at a time like this…Terra hadn't changed at all. Smiling, Aqua prepared a barrier spell; one hand resting by her side; palm forward. "Riku has Mickey with him. He'll be fine."

"You sound sure of yourself."

"If it'll get you to worry about _our_ situation—"

She felt his fingers slipping between hers as he squeezed her hand; momentarily stopping her incantation. Aqua blinked and again looked over her shoulder; this time finding Terra gleaming down at her with a confident smirk. "When you've got my back, I have nothing to worry about."

_Seriously, Terra, focus! _Aqua mentally scolded, though her cheeks showed otherwise when they burned pink. She quietly looked forward to hide her blush, but even then, Aqua had a feeling the brunet was already aware of her reaction. Still, with just Terra's words and carefree actions, Aqua found her previous concerns lessened; she definitely reciprocated Terra's statement. Letting out a relieved sigh, Aqua clutched Terra's hand in return. "Then shall we finish this?"

"Sure; but let's add a bet."

"…Bet?"

Once the Heartless started their assault did Aqua pull away from Terra to lift a powerful barrier. Heartless recoiled off the invisible field and it gave the brunet leverage for a counterattack as he shook the ground with an earthquake. Terra prepared for his next attack after grinning in Aqua's direction. "If I defeat more Heartless than you…you're giving me a kiss."

"What? T-Terra—" Aqua shouted only to be cut off when a Shadow attempted to jump her. She easily knocked it away – her attention back on the brunet – but Terra was already busy with his 'clean-up' duty. However, that did nothing to cease her embarrassment as she fought as well. "Be serious already!"

"But I _am _serious!" Terra shouted back with a laugh; already clearing half of his area. He charged towards his next victims, crying out. "Remember, Aqua: a kiss!"

Aqua performed a magnet spell before calling down a high level thunder spell. Darting her eyes in Terra's direction – the brunet having more fun than trouble – Aqua shook her head. "I need to beat the definition into his head…"

If they were ever going to catch up with everyone, they had better get to work.

…And there was no way she'd let Terra win.


	16. Amaranth

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **I actually had to change the song for this chapter because I couldn't get my mind to wrap around what I wanted to do. I honestly _didn't _want to do something with angst…yet I still wrote something angst-y in the end. xD Man, my song choices. LOL  
Anyways, besides my song choice, this was partly inspired by a friend who happens to like writing Terra with a darkness-complex. :3 Normally when I think of Terra bathed in darkness, his appearance is like his Dark Impulse Command Style. I loved that Command Style in BBS… Haha. The ending for this was a little rushed because I wanted to add so much more. Never happened though. ;v;

I learned about this song from a friend a few years back and recently, I've only just started to _really _listen to it. xD; Gotta say, I'm ashamed I didn't listen to it back then; it's an _amazing _song! :D It fit Terra so much. -squishes him- Had to look up the word 'amaranth' because I didn't know what it meant, but after investigating, I fell in love with the symbolism of the word. Might use it in the future… Ah, the things you learn. xD Haha!

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy and Happy TerQua Day (over on DeviantArt anyways…I forgot LOL)!

* * *

**Genres/Warnings: **Angst/Romance; mild language.**  
Song Link (YouTube): **/watch?v=dSs4xfvATjc**  
Timeline: **Speculative KH3**  
Mini-Summary: **Nothing more needed to be said; he was drowning in his hate and he didn't need anyone to console him… How wrong he was.

* * *

**.: Amaranth :.**

_"At war between him and the day  
Need someone to blame  
In the end, little he can do alone"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Terra trekked through the dark, silent forest until he reached an open field; the stars his only guide in the night. His mind was clouded with many thoughts that left him uneasy. He still had so many regrets; too many loose ends that he found impossible to tie. Nonetheless, they had to be closed because _he _opened the proverbial 'can of worms' the moment Xehanort coerced and tricked him. The brunet couldn't help but narrow his eyes under the moonlight. Xehanort had been so accomplished, so revered long ago…why did he destroy all that he earned and for what? Curiosity? _Power?_

"…Damn it." The brunet pressed his right hand over his left arm that bathed in black, slithering coils. Terra didn't have to look down to know that he unintentionally called forth his darkness again. He may have been cleansed of Xehanort's influence, but that didn't mean his _own _darkness disappeared.

Once he got the black aura under control as the tendrils faded away did Terra let out a sigh of relief. It was short-lived when noises entered his ears. Quickly summoning his Keyblade, Terra pivoted on his foot to deal with his intruder only to freeze in surprise. Aqua merely stared at him with an unreadable expression, unarmed and unafraid. They remained as they were before Aqua let out an exasperated sound and crossed her arms as she approached him. "Wandering off again, Terra?"

"Why did you follow me?"

"Why did _you _leave camp?"

He bit his tongue when Aqua's eyes revealed a storm—she wasn't happy. Terra would be lying if he said his relationship with Aqua wasn't rocky. No one knew when it started, but at every turn during the campaign against Xehanort, Terra and Aqua were fighting. If it wasn't about the old man, it was about each other. Ventus had been the one to keep things carnage-free, but even the blond had trouble preventing every fight between his oldest friends. Eventually, Terra and Aqua settled to giving each other the cold shoulder, but no one said Terra _liked _their falling out. He wanted to fix it – he really did – but he was so…_angry _all the time: mad about his weaknesses, mistakes…_Xehanort._

Once he felt his darkness coming back, Terra quickly dismissed his Keyblade, grabbed his left arm again, and walked away from Aqua. She only followed stubbornly. "Your darkness?"

"Go away, Aqua," Terra warned with a rigid voice.

She ignored him. "Running away isn't doing you any good."

"And you're suddenly an expert on what I should do?" Terra snapped, looking over his shoulder and glaring at the blue-haired mage. To hell with hiding his darkness; Aqua was already scrutinizing him for it anyways! The darkness began dancing around Terra after he 'relaxed' his control. His left arm was completely engulfed in the black tendrils and Terra refused to admit that it was almost…comforting; familiar to be wrapped in something so cold. A bitter smirk dressed his face. "I could've used that help a _long _time ago, Aqua. You know, before we _both_ fell into a depthless hell."

A pain look crossed her face, but she struggled to contain her feelings by clenching her fists. If she walked away now, that would've made Terra's life easier… Instead, Aqua marched _towards _him. He unconsciously took a step back, mostly out of shock, but it sunk in that his childhood friend continued her advances. Terra's heart raced; Aqua was too close.

"What are you—"

"Are you going to attack me?" Aqua asked without breaking eye contact.

Terra stammered. "No! I wouldn't—"

"Then why are you shrinking away from me?"

"Stop it!"

"Why is it," Aqua questioned in frustration, "that you _still_ can't rely on anyone?"

He froze. The darkness was practically licking her skin once she stood only a foot away, leering at him with glistening, blue eyes. How could it be that she wasn't afraid of his darkness while he still had nightmares of once again _becoming _Xehanort? Before he could wonder any further, Aqua's palms brushed his cheeks and her fingers (Terra gullibly thinking her actions as intimate) pinched his ears. _Hard._

"You still don't trust us even after all these years?" As Terra winced, Aqua pinched harder; she was using her _nails! _Pulling her hands away, Terra meant to retort, but Aqua only lowered her eyes, whispering painfully. "Do I have to fight with you on this issue all the time? Terra?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, the brunet unconsciously squeezed Aqua's hands and looked away in shame. The reasons they were fighting… It was because _he_ was trying to distance himself from the others; still not trusting his abilities to control the darkness in his heart. Terra was trying, but he frequently gave into his anger whenever he thought about Xehanort, and that was dangerous. "I…don't want to hurt anyone."

"You can't hurt me," Aqua replied. Slowly, Terra glanced at the mage when she twisted her hands in his. Catching her smile, Aqua placed his palm on her cheek and leaned into it. "I've built up an immunity being in the Dark Realm for so long, right? The darkness doesn't scare me anymore; let alone _your _darkness, Terra. Let me in."

_Aqua… _Terra's shell of indifference melted, giving way to his child-like vulnerability. In all his life, only two people had ever seen him as such: Master Eraqus…and now Aqua. The blue-haired mage immediately comforted him as his darkness melted away with the night; Terra holding her desperately as he buried his face in her shoulder. Aqua was the one Terra feared to hurt most of all, but here she was; refusing to ignore his despair and abandon him. The brunet never realized that time slipped away as they stayed together until his eyes opened to the break of dawn; Aqua sleeping soundly beside him and curled against his chest within a bed of flowers. Terra smiled affectionately, mesmerized by Aqua's natural beauty complemented by the blooms.

She truly was an unfading presence…


	17. If I Never Knew You

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the material from Kingdom Hearts or the songs used for inspiration. The challenge belongs to _Lien-Hua, _but I own all the written work. :)

**A/N: **This one is probably the first actual sequel to one of the previous chapters I have written. :) This is for _GoldenDragon326 _who previously suggested a sequel for the Eternal Love chapter (#10 of this challenge). My apologies for this not being exactly how you probably envisioned it, _GoldenDragon326. _xD; I still hope you enjoy it. :) Left myself a little tidbit with my other current obsession: Vocaloid. If you can find it (heck, even know about Vocaloid), then I applaud you. As for the ending of this chapter...I'll leave it up to you. LOL

Song choice is probably obvious if you're as much of a Disney movie junkie as I am. LOL Disney love ballads take me back... I have really bad nostalgia trips whenever I listen to them and wish I was kid again. xD I recently rewatched Pocahontas and I felt like I had to use this song. :)

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy!

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**Genres/Warnings: **Romance/Drama/Humor; flirting (oh yeah! xD).**  
Song Link (YouTube): **/watch?v=63OfEcHjQOQ**  
Timeline: **Post-KH3; sequel to Eternal Love**  
Mini-Summary: **She never kept a track record on their relationship before, but it amazed Aqua how much had changed between them. Time was definitely a funny thing.

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**.: If I Never Knew You :.**

_"If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real  
Never knowing I could feel a love so strong and true"_

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"And what is that?"

"A BanaN'Ice Shaker—Hey!"

Even though she tried her best to push Terra away, the brunet only chuckled while helping himself to Aqua's delicious milkshake; his teeth on the straw as one of his arms wrapped around Aqua's shoulders to keep her beside him. Of course, he'd have to deal with her elbowing him, but that was an entirely different matter.

Unable to restrain her mirth, Aqua finally managed to pry her now half-empty cup away from the brunet. "I didn't buy it for _you."_

"If I recall, Master Eraqus always told us to share." Terra hummed with a smug smile. He reached for Aqua's drink again, mocking vanity. "Therefore, Aqua, you should share with your _awesome,_ best friend!"

Aqua only rolled her eyes, dodging Terra's greedy hands. "Oh, you mean _Ven?"_

"…Ouch," Terra sarcastically let out with a furrow of his eyebrows. Pouting, Terra leered down at her as the blue-haired Master passively sipped down on her drink. "You wound me, Aqua."

Her shoulders shook in amusement for a short moment before Aqua quickly stood on her toes and pressed her lips against the brunet's. He wasn't expecting her show of affection and by the time Aqua pulled away, Terra stared dumbstruck. It made her giggle with a smug smile of her own as she mixed what remained of her drink. "You're more than my best friend now, Terra."

"…What am I then?"

Her straw stopped moving, but Aqua kept her eyes on her cup. Aqua knew she would have to answer that question eventually – especially after they shared that kiss under the fireworks – but she was hoping it wouldn't have to be tonight. She supposed being _too _impulsive about her feelings lead to premature situations…like this one. A blush crawled over her cheeks and she hesitated to speak. "Well, you're… You're still—"

Terra's palm was suddenly on her cheek as he guided her face to look at him. She didn't want to – not with that blush dressing her cheeks – but it was hard to deny him when his touch was so gentle. However, that still didn't mean Aqua wouldn't fidget in her spot and she froze when Terra began leaning down, kissing the corner of her mouth. Her eyes closed tightly when she felt a cold sensation near her mouth that Aqua wasn't aware of before. Ah, she probably had milkshake on her; how embarrassing. Once Terra kissed away her unintentional mess (leaving only an erratic heart beating in her chest), he slowly pulled back and pressed their foreheads together.

Aqua took in a nervous breath before slowly opening her eyes; not surprised that Terra was already staring back at her. If only he knew what he was doing to her; their little plan to enjoy the festival together quickly spiraled into something more… She was more than willing to stand on her toes again when Terra started closing the distance between them…

"This way! This way!" A child laughed as he ran down the street; pinwheel in hand.

A little girl quickly gave chase with a bright smile. Eventually, she caught up to her friend, not realizing she stepped in something sticky. "Let's go back to the cotton candy stand!"

Once all was quiet on the street again did Aqua release a sigh of relief; collapsing her weight on Terra's chest as they hid in a lone corner and away from prying eyes. Honestly, Aqua never realized how quick she was to hide from other people, but she figure the response was also due on Terra's part; he _was _the one who lead them to a blind spot with Aqua's poor milkshake as the only causalty of their escapade. Glancing up at the brunet, Aqua watched as Terra relaxed as well; his arms slackening around the small of her back as he kept a vigilant watch on the street for any more people. The blue-haired Master made to speak, but the laughter of those children caught her attention once again. They were examining each festival stand, sharing secrets, and smiling brightly. Aqua couldn't help but smile, letting out an apparent laugh.

"What?" Terra raised a suspicious eyebrow, looking down at her.

Aqua's smile never left her face as she wrapped her arms around Terra, finding their awkward position comfortable. "It's funny…how long I've known you."

"…I don't get it." Terra sighed; not in the mood for games.

His response was so typical. Always the oblivious one…but Aqua wouldn't trade it for anything. Shrugging, Aqua tugged one of Terra's bangs, teasing. "I always used to think you were a brat back then—always doing your own thing and listening to the Master's instructions…_after_ disobedience backfired on you. It's nostalgic."

Terra only narrowed his eyes in response as his cheeks faintly filled with color. Aqua wasn't sure if he understood where she was going with her rambling, but once the brunet began dragging his fingers up her exposed back in an attempt to hold her closer, Terra smugly smiled after Aqua arched against him. "If we're being honest, I never knew you were bold enough to wear a halter top."

"T-That's…" Aqua's face was beet red by now as Terra continuously drew circles on her back. She tried keeping a straight face. "You never cared before."

"Lies—you shocked me when I saw you wearing one for the first time when we were fifteen." He chuckled with a grin, giving her an enticing glance. "It was like you wanted someone's attention…especially after you cut your hair short."

…Why couldn't she ever win whenever they were teasing each other? Well, in her case, it was a reminiscing type of tease. In Terra's case…he was just being perverse; them being in a lone corner wasn't helping matters. The brunet entwined their hands together while pressing his lips to her temple; Aqua quietly muttering a weak retort. "You're reading too much into that."

"Of course I am."

"You _are."_

"Can I have my kiss now?"


End file.
